WTN: Grin and Thalabert It

[David M. Bueker]

• 2009 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (3/21/2022)
  I cannot fathom the positive notes on this wine. I poured a glass to check the condition of the (perfectly stored since release) bottle, and it was a vanilla milkshake made with black cherry ice cream. The gloss and oak overpowered everything about the wine. Two hours later there was no change. What a shame that someone would do this to what was once a benchmark wine. (76 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

p.s. I don’t score wines, but I had to score this one.

[Jenise]

Wow, what a depressing review. I think I have a magnum of this, maybe a '15 or '16, which I bought for around $40 each on the strength of '06s I'd loved way back when.

[David M. Bueker]

I heard such great things about a “revival” at Jaboulet. Must have been press releases from cooperages.

[David M. Bueker]

I hope you have the 2016. Someone whose palate I greatly respect liked that vintage enough to buy in.

I used to enjoy quite old Thalaberts, but I no longer have any in the cellar - too bad that they have come to this.

Crozes Hermitage in general always struck me as masquerading as a wannabe Hermitage while the fact was that most were far below that standard.

I now have very few - a 2015 Delas Grand Chemins and a Chapoutier Meysonniers, the latter of which is a best buy candidate. and the former was for some reason named after a main road (insert emoji scratching head)

That's the Caroline Frey regime at work. I have read reports that the wood presence has moderated in recent vintages but the 2022 edition of RVF's annual guide still does not list this estate amongst its recommendations.

Thalaberts from the 80s (83, 85, 88, 89, 90) could hold their own against most Hermitages.
It's been quite the drop.I think I might have one or two bottles from this century, can only hope, but will not expect anything like the old ones.
The only other Crozes I've ever really liked were by Graillot, who recently passed away.

[Jenise]

David, checked, I've got the '15s. Opened one last summer: "Andouzed for 24 hours. Very pleasant red and black fruit, toast, tobacco and good balancing acidity. At this point too much acidity to be mistaken for California as this vintage has been accused of elsewhere, though it does lack the green olive and tar typical of a C-H syrah. Needs more time.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2009 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Crozes-Hermitage Domaine de Thalabert - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage (5/18/2024)
  Well it was at least better than the horrid bottle I had two years ago. Instead of being a milkshake caricature like the bottle in 2022, it had become a generic, could be from anywhere, could be from any grape wine. Hard to believe that’s an improvement but well…