Thursdays in the Cellar: A Rhone BYO Part III

The Tasting Notes Part II:

9. 1996 Jaboulet Cornas
Corked!? Though there was some debate around the table whether or not TCA was the culprit.

10. 2000 La Bastide Saint Dominique Chateauneuf-du-Pape “Secrets de Pignan”
Aromatics requiring energetic coaxing…so different compared to al the other so far (it is, after all, 100% Grenache). Fresh and sweet with notes of caramel and a bit of wet earth, milk chocolate and roasted meat (was the smell of the food interfering with the aromatics of the wine?) The palate so generous compared to the austerity of syrah: soft, smooth, and strawberry jam.

Evolving: Raspberry on the nose, though subtle. A little citrus on the palate along with strawberry hi-c. A sweet, nearly liqueur like quality about it. Very easy and delicious. I noted, “not my style, but very nice,” though looking back on this comment I ask myself, “why not?” It sounds great.

11. 2000 Penfold’s Grange (one of the few 100% Shiraz vintages)
Very close to the Hermitage actually, except the rich, ripe fruit underpinning the more dominant leather and game aromas. The color opaque with no sign at all of age. A little V8 juice cocktail on the nose as well. Violets and sweet oak spice. Huge extraction but impeccably balanced. Dark chocolate verging on cocoa powder without the bitterness. Sweet, full, incredibly multi-layered texture. Very supple. Eases into and across the mouth. So sleek. Mouth drying finish. A savory, black licorice persistence. Very young, though quite accessible. The finest Australian wine I have ever tasted. I was skeptical about this wine initially, and while Parker sites it as, “not one of the great Granges,” it was delicious. Based on this one bottle, I would say Grange deserves its reputation as one of the finest wines in the world.

12. 2003 Zaca Mesa “Z Three” Santa Ynez Valley, California
(52% Shiraz/46% Mourvèdre/2% Grenache)
Blood orange on the nose and sweet berry fruit with some tar and menthol. Wants to get your attention, kind of like a Labrador. Big, chunky, monolithic, and chewy. High in alcohol. Sweet, easy, pleasant. Again, not my style but good in its own way, like a candy bar is good every once in a while. Definitely decadent. Doing a fairly decent job of maintaining its balance despite the alcohol.

13. 2005 Mitolo GAM Shiraz McLaren Vale, Australia
Sweet blackberries and cream with some yogurt and vanilla extract, oak, and alcohol on the nose. Sweet, full, rich, and alcoholic. A monster of a wine (the second monster of the night, we nearly could have made it a Halloween party). Dense and I noted, dirty. Overly alcoholic, despite its claims at 14.5%. Vanilla and blackberry on the finish with mouth searing alcohol and tannins. A chore to taste.

The next day: Toasty oak and blackberry leaf on the nose. Kind of funky (I think the yogurt was going sour). Sweet attack, but something strikes me mid-palate that is off-putting…leading into a finish of (you guessed it) a whole lot of alcohol and some blue fruits. Perplexing really.

14. 2003 Tintara Reserve Shiraz McLaren Vale
Positively subdued compared to the previous wine. A bit of rubber tire . Monolithic yes, but not bad really. Crème de Cassis on the palate. Huge extraction. Grippy tannins. Too much for me.

The next day: Let me start by saying that I did want to like this wine. Interesting sort of sour milk and oak spice on the nose, along with blueberries and blackberries. Quite dense, nearly impenetrable palate. Lots of glycerol. I don’t really know what to make of it.

15. 2001 Chateau Pierre Bise Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu “Papin-Chevalier”
Showing excellent botrytis character on the nose with a bit of petrol, apricot, and citrus rind. Rich, concentrated, viscous with solid lift from the acidity. Mineral and stone fruit palate. Very, very nice.

16. 2003 Chapoutier Banyuls
Blueberry pie filling on the nose with blackberries on the palate. A bit bitter with a tannic finish. Sweet, mid-weight, with a hint of tobacco. Not nearly as interesting as the Chenin, but an unfair comparison. Great supporting acidity. Surprisingly hefty tannins. Structured to age a while yet, though it finishes a bit short.