Enthusiasm
mid November 2010
I like to be cautious about vintage pronouncements, but I have been struck by enthusiasm for 2010 from two fine and discreet stables, that of Georges Vernay at Condrieu, and Jean-Louis Chave at Hermitage. If I add in Domaine Jamet at Côte-Rôtie and Clape at Cornas, Bernard Faurie at Hermitage, you can see that 1) I have been keeping pretty good company and 2) the tom tom drums augur well for 2010. In the meantime, notes on the 2009s will be gradually fed in, so look out for the LVT (Last Vintage Tasted) 2009 signal against the domaine name. But make sure you don`t spend all the dosh on the 2009s - go steady, you with the waving wallet!
Fine and Mature
mid-November 2010
please see Recent Tastings, and click on the Cornas in London sub tab for a report on a dinner involving 13 wines of Cornas stretching from 2006 back to 1983. A veritable glimpse back in time to some fine, mature wines. Visits to leading Côte-Rôtie Domaine Jamet and leading Saint-Joseph Domaine Gonon have been entered, including a look at their 2010 Syrah. A start-up Vin de Pays domaine run by the son of Marc Sorrel at Hermitage, has been added - Les Alexandrins.
There is often good value from the Côtes du Rhône reds made by Châteauneuf-du-Pape domaines. See a fine collection of 2009 Côtes du Rhônes from Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine du Grand Tinel, and a fascinating Côtes du Rhône white from Clos du Caillou, made from Clairette rose rather than the usual Clairette blanche. Also an STGT Villages red 2009 from La Bastide Saint-Dominique.
There has been action at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a host of new names with usually small plots starting to make and bottle their own wine. These are Domaines Julien Masquin, La Celestière (8 hectares in the west of the appellation, a big investment), Mouriesse Vinum, La Consonnière, Saint-Pierre and Château Capucine. A lot of 2009 red Châteauneufs have been written up. The 2009 red and whites at Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château Rayas and Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette have also been assessed. Recent visits to the organic Domaine Romaneaux-Déstézet of Hervé Souhaut at Saint-Joseph and Domaine Georges Vernay at Condrieu, makers of the supreme Coteau de Vernon, have also been included.
Returning from Russia, where I found wine prices as dizzy as usual. The comfortable new Hotel Lotte near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a Pierre Gagnaire franchise restaurant that offers Les Menus de PG. The Rhône interest on the list was represented by 2008 Condrieu Georges Vernay Les Terrasses de l`Empire at €233; this represents a 10 times mark-up - 100% is only for wimps; also 2004 Chapoutier white Hermitage Chante Alouette at €219, the 2006 Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne red at €271, the 2005 Côte-Rôtie from René Rostaing at €237, the classic 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château de la Gardine at €174, and to top it all, the 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Génerations red at . . . €678. I sat at breakfast one morning, asked for the Wine List, as one does, and, well, didn`t buy, not even the humble Ventoux Château de Pesquié Quintessence, a serious wine it is, at €62, which really almost represents the dot on the card. Of course, the 2000 Château Margaux trades at €4,405 and the 2005 Cheval Blanc at €4,640.
CORNAS cheval mascot alert: talking of big money, Cornas ran at Exeter on Tuesday 2 November, 2010, in a Grade 2, hot handicap for the top 2 mile steeplechasers, worth £40,000 to the winner. Alas, poor Cornas tried his best, but his hoof was hurting, and he ran a lacklustre race, finishing sixth. He is as game as any wine from Cornas, and kept going, despite having what turned out to be an abcess. He will now take time off. Thank goodness the ground was soft. I hope at least that the Irish maestro Barry Geraghty thought he did well in the circumstances. ALLEZ, CORNAS!!
McLAREN VALE BUILDING NIGHTMARE: a 77 hectare suburban zone is due to be built on cereal land next to the McLaren Vale vineyards. The plan is for commercial centres, 1200 dwellings and 2500 residents in the ominously named "Phase 1." Growers are desolate at this prospect, so if you, unlike the Ministers, can take the long view - destruction of heritage, just as we had at Cornas a while back - please fire off an email to Mr Holloway, whose email address is minister.holloway@sa.gov.au More on this debacle features on the McLaren Vale sidebar. Please emphasize the country you are writing from, so the bureaucrats can realise that this is not just a little local fling. Thank you very much.
Bright And New
mid-November 2010
please see Recent Tastings, and click on the Cornas in London sub tab for a report on a dinner involving 13 wines of Cornas stretching from 2006 back to 1983. A veritable glimpse back in time to some fine, mature wines. Visits to leading Côte-Rôtie Domaine Jamet and leading Saint-Joseph Domaine Gonon have been entered, including a look at their 2010 Syrah. A start-up Vin de Pays domaine run by the son of Marc Sorrel at Hermitage, has been added - Les Alexandrins.
There is often good value from the Côtes du Rhône reds made by Châteauneuf-du-Pape domaines. See a fine collection of 2009 Côtes du Rhônes from Domaine de la Janasse, Domaine du Grand Tinel, and a fascinating Côtes du Rhône white from Clos du Caillou, made from Clairette rose rather than the usual Clairette blanche. Also an STGT Villages red 2009 from La Bastide Saint-Dominique.
There has been action at Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with a host of new names with usually small plots starting to make and bottle their own wine. These are Domaines Julien Masquin, La Celestière (8 hectares in the west of the appellation, a big investment), Mouriesse Vinum, La Consonnière, Saint-Pierre and Château Capucine. A lot of 2009 red Châteauneufs have been written up. The 2009 red and whites at Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château Rayas and Côtes du Rhône Château de Fonsalette have also been assessed. Recent visits to the organic Domaine Romaneaux-Déstézet of Hervé Souhaut at Saint-Joseph and Domaine Georges Vernay at Condrieu, makers of the supreme Coteau de Vernon, have also been included.
Returning from Russia, where I found wine prices as dizzy as usual. The comfortable new Hotel Lotte near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has a Pierre Gagnaire franchise restaurant that offers Les Menus de PG. The Rhône interest on the list was represented by 2008 Condrieu Georges Vernay Les Terrasses de l`Empire at €233; this represents a 10 times mark-up - 100% is only for wimps; also 2004 Chapoutier white Hermitage Chante Alouette at €219, the 2006 Chapoutier Hermitage Monier de la Sizeranne red at €271, the 2005 Côte-Rôtie from René Rostaing at €237, the classic 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château de la Gardine at €174, and to top it all, the 1990 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château de la Gardine Cuvée des Génerations red at . . . €678. I sat at breakfast one morning, asked for the Wine List, as one does, and, well, didn`t buy, not even the humble Ventoux Château de Pesquié Quintessence, a serious wine it is, at €62, which really almost represents the dot on the card. Of course, the 2000 Château Margaux trades at €4,405 and the 2005 Cheval Blanc at €4,640.
CORNAS cheval mascot alert: talking of big money, Cornas ran at Exeter on Tuesday 2 November, 2010, in a Grade 2, hot handicap for the top 2 mile steeplechasers, worth £40,000 to the winner. Alas, poor Cornas tried his best, but his hoof was hurting, and he ran a lacklustre race, finishing sixth. He is as game as any wine from Cornas, and kept going, despite having what turned out to be an abcess. He will now take time off. Thank goodness the ground was soft. I hope at least that the Irish maestro Barry Geraghty thought he did well in the circumstances. ALLEZ, CORNAS!!
McLAREN VALE BUILDING NIGHTMARE: a 77 hectare suburban zone is due to be built on cereal land next to the McLaren Vale vineyards. The plan is for commercial centres, 1200 dwellings and 2500 residents in the ominously named "Phase 1." Growers are desolate at this prospect, so if you, unlike the Ministers, can take the long view - destruction of heritage, just as we had at Cornas a while back - please fire off an email to Mr Holloway, whose email address is minister.holloway@sa.gov.au More on this debacle features on the McLaren Vale sidebar. Please emphasize the country you are writing from, so the bureaucrats can realise that this is not just a little local fling. Thank you very much.
