Northern Rhone theme dinner last night - time to get Syrah-ous.
1997 Dom. Remizieres Crozes-Hermitage Cuvee Christophe blanc (90% Marsanne and 10% Roussanne) - showing some colour now, and with a mineral, slightly Vaseline nose (one chap said it also tasted like Vaseline, but we didn't ask how he knew that, right, Ed?) with a floral component. Good weight and balance, it continued to open as it warmed up.1987 Alain Voge Cornas - this fooled me as to vintage - I did not guess 1987 as it was an awful vintage (though I used to fool people with the Chave), but the light colour should have been a tip off. Leather tar and anise in the nose, sweet entry, and then a drying finish indicating age and the already slightly obtrusive acidity became overwhelming as it broke up sitting in the glass. Interesting to try, particularly in the first few minutes.
1997 Jaboulet Cote Rotie Les Jumelles - the next two were difficult as they did not show typically. This one had a dark deep nose of cocoa and blood over a backdrop of burnt rubber (picture the a nice cup of choices after the drag races have finished), and though obviously fairly young, the tannins were quite soft. Good balance, and it should have a good long life.1997 Jaboulet Cornas Dom. de St. Pierre - dark wine with a very unusual minty toothpaste dentist office sort of nose. More open, rounder and seeming almost Australian! No rush here, and hopefully the nose will develop with maturity.
2000 Dom. Remizieres Hermitage Cuvee Emilie - sweet floral nose with some anise and coffee. Mellow, soft initially, then the tannins kick in. No rush here.1999 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle - pale in comparison to the previous wines, with good fruit in the nose, and some bacon. Pretty good structure and length, but amazingly forward, and I think it should be drunk up in the near term, as I doubt extended cellaring will make it much more than it is today - unusual for this producer, that often makes very long lived wines (the 78 and 79 are still great wines).
1991 Jean-Luc Colombo Cornas Les Ruchets - probably the best showing I've had with this - good nose with a bit of Rhone pong to it, as well as some sweet spicy plumminess. The tannins have now softened and the finish was long and sweet.2002 Kaesler Avignon - this stood out like a nun at an orgy - no way it could be Rhone. Simple, sweet candied medicinal nose with some pepper, some heat in the mouth, and ending sweet. This added nothing to the event except some (unneeded) comic relief. I have nothing against bringing a 'ringer' per se, but it should be varietally correct (which this would have been - but for the Southern Rhone), and have a chance to either fool us or teach us something - neither applied to this wine. There should be a rule - if someone brings a ringer that is a clanger, they can't bring another one for a year!
2002 Gaillard Condrieu 'Jeanne Elise ' - Great wine to finish with, and unusual- a vin de paille from Condrieu. At first apricots and almond in the nose, but that switched over to pears which carried over onto the palate, ending with a little white pepper. Delightful.