WTN: Some older wine blind; "off" vintages shine.

The theme of last night’s club tasting was older vintages. It was interesting to see how well some wines from lesser rated vintages and appellations were holding up. The wines were served blind from decanter; we all performed fairly poorly in pinning them down, particularly the reds. As usual, our mentor was Pierre Ghysens, a Rhône expert.

Wine 1
Colour was quite light but ruby with very little bricking. The nose was very charming with notes of cherry, herbs and bacon. The cherry and other aromas carried onto the light/medium bodied palate with excellent freshness and acidity and good grip; the overall effect was elegant slightly marred by a raw metallic touch. My guess was Northern Rhône in an approachable vintage like 1997; 16/20.
In fact the wine was 100% Syrah from the Valréas area in the Southern Rhône Côtes du Rhone 1987 – Domaine du Grand Devers (Sinard). Sinard had a devoted following in Belgium for his elegant age-worthy wines and this was an extraordinary result from a weak vintage. The estate has since fallen into poor hands.

Wine 2
Colour was quite deep with little bricking and the nose displayed cherry liqueur notes marred by a slight element of curdle. The body and dark savoury fruit were quite full and there were dusty, oily and liquorice notes; shape on the palate was up-front and there were still quite bitter and dry tannins towards the finish; needed food. My guess was Languedoc with some Mourvèdre from 1995 (for the tough tannins); 15/20.
It was 100% Grenache Côtes du Rhône Les Garrigues 1995 Domaine de la Janasse (Sabon) from just outside the Châteauneuf du Pape area.

Wine 3
This wine was on a different plane and had everyone floundering. Once again there was cherry on the rich nose but much more including truffles, chalky minerals and hints of graphite and leafiness. The palate lived up to the nose with medium/full body, fresh round fruit, velvety feel and classical shape with good length and elegance. Some people though Cabernet franc (from where?); I thought Burgundy (but that graphite and leafiness?), possibly a good 1997; a perplexing 17.5/20.
Another 100% Syrah Cornas 1992 – Auguste Clape. Amazing result from a dilute vintage. There are no bad vintages; only bad wine-growers and Clape is a great one. But what was the chemical ingredient in 1992 which made experienced Rhône drinkers think of Cabernet franc?

Wine 4.
“At last a wine which is not mono-varietal” exclaimed our best taster. Careful, I thought, one of the varieties is quercus. The nose was fragrant with a lot of cherry and fine vanilla. The palate was polished and elegant with medium/full body, good freshness and “gras”, marked and somewhat confected fragrance, round fruit impregnated with plum and cherry, good length and structure, which was marked towards the finish by harsh notes of dry caramel; this together with the confected touch marred some excellent qualities; 15/20.
This wine was a mono-varietal Syrah with 100% new oak ageing – Saint-Joseph Les Pierres 1997 Pierre Gaillard. Since then Gaillard has cut back on the new oak content of his ageing and that could result in stunning wines from more recent vintages.

Wine 5.
Colour was medium yellow. The nose was remarkably complex with myriads of white flowers, spices and a touch of honey. On the full and beautifully complex palate a slight impression of sweetness was balanced by freshness and mouth-watering acidity but the finish was slightly hard; the wine had undergone a double dose of carbonic gas and this was no doubt responsible for a prickle in its youth (now disappeared), its exceptional freshness and the slight hardness of the finish. Pierre thinks that two or three years will bring it to perfection. This was certainly Rhône valley, probably North and Hermitage given the quality; 17/20++ with + potential.
It was Marsanne dominated Saint-Joseph blanc 1995 Domaine Faurie.

Wine 6.
Deep yellow with a darkly honeyed nose showing some curdle. Definitely a “wow” wine on the palate with its impressive mass and power (14% alc.), darkly burnished tropical dried fruit, minerals and enough acidity for balance. There is probably some potential for further opening up here and the wine is hugely impressive if less close to my heart than the previous. My guess was white CndP; 16.5/20 with + potential.
Another Marsanne dominated wine Ermitage de l’Orée 1991 Chapoutier made from incredibly low yields.

Wine 7.
See my separate WTN: “Is mature Savennières supposed to taste like this?”

Wine 8.
Colour was amber and the nose exploded with quince, honey, herbs and botrytis. The palate was marked by superb focus, bright acidity and minerality to offset the considerable sweetness and myriads of fruit, flower and spice aromas out of which people found apricot, peach, fennel together with citrus elements on the long after-taste. Not many problems here in identifying a great Foreau Vouvray 1989 (the botrytis); 19/20.
Vouvray Réserve 1989 Domaine du Clos Naudin (Philippe Foreau)

Wine 9.
Much paler colour and a nose with aromas of white port, herbs and hints of malt. The crisply dry palate shocked after the Vouvray and the porty nose but the first sip soon cleaned the palate. This was a deliberately oxidative wine (in contrast to the Savennières) with crisply focussed nutty and mineral flavours, great vigour and a caressing texture which marks it out from its more steely cousin from Xeres; no prizes here for identifying a Vin Jaune from the Jura; 16.5/20++.
Made from Savagnin Château-Chalon 1985 Denis Bury, a little know producer.

NB: No corked bottles!!

Thanks for those notes Tim. Not surprising to see good producers shining even in weaker years - some of those make really great bargains. I'm also glad to read your comment re. Gaillard reducing his oak treatment - I've got a couple of younger bottles from him (a 99 estate Cote Rotie and an 00 Viailleres) that I'm looking forward to.

Re. your question on the Cornas being picked as a Cab Franc - my guess is that the chemicals responsible would probably be pyrazines (which tend to be present in higher concentrations in unripe fruit - they give green pepper their standard aromatics from what I understand, and are also present in a lot of the grassier Sauvignon Blancs). Hopefully Mark Lipton can clarify or add more here.

Nice selection of wines here.

Pierre thinks that two or three years will bring it to perfection. It was Marsanne dominated Saint-Joseph blanc 1995 Domaine Faurie.

Nice. Do you often age his St Joseph blanc this long?

Nice selection of wines here.

Pierre thinks that two or three years will bring it to perfection. It was Marsanne dominated Saint-Joseph blanc 1995 Domaine Faurie.

Nice. Do you often age his St Joseph blanc this long?

Good question Rahsaan, am ready to be educated every time I click on here today!!

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Pierre thinks that two or three years will bring it to perfection. It was Marsanne dominated Saint-Joseph blanc 1995 Domaine Faurie.

Nice. Do you often age his St Joseph blanc this long?

Rahsaan, the wine was contributed by Pierre Ghysens, who has a detailed knowledge of the behaviour vintage by vintage of the wines in his extensive Rhône portfolio and some others as well. So, it is not surprising that he knew that this one needed to be kept. As a general proposition, Faurie's wines are slow agers and I doubt strongly whether his red Hermitage 95 would be ready for drinking yet or for the next 5 years.

If it had been left to me without Pierre's help, I would have either opened the bottle in the first couple of years or waited to about now.

I'm also glad to read your comment re. Gaillard reducing his oak treatment - I've got a couple of younger bottles from him (a 99 estate Cote Rotie and an 00 Viailleres) that I'm looking forward to.

Salil, from the conversation round the table, I gathered that it is only into this century that Gaillard started lightening his new oak touch. However, I think, from your posts, that you are a fan of a lot of South Australian Shiraz, so Gaillard's 1997 oak treatment may not seem out of line to you; but I shudder to think what Otto would say about it.

As a general proposition, Faurie's wines are slow agers and I doubt strongly whether his red Hermitage 95 would be ready for drinking yet or for the next 5 years.

Yes, but of course Hermitage and St Joseph blanc are two different stories. Anyway, interesting stuff. I don't drink many Rhone whites but they are interesting wines.

I don't drink many Rhone whites but they are interesting wines.

Same with me. I have very few in my cellar, just a little Hermitage from Chave and CndP from Beaucastel. You spur me go out and get some white St.Jo or Crozes. They are very good with Mediterranean type fish dishes.

Salil, from the conversation round the table, I gathered that it is only into this century that Gaillard started lightening his new oak touch. However, I think, from your posts, that you are a fan of a lot of South Australian Shiraz, so Gaillard's 1997 oak treatment may not seem out of line to you; but I shudder to think what Otto would say about it.

I'm a fan of South Australian Shiraz when it's not brutally oaked (older Glaetzer, Shirvington, Kilikanoon and other goop) and tend to lean towards more elegant, transparent styles like Henschke, Torzi Matthews and Wendouree.

Either way, should be interesting to try those bottles of Gaillard. I've had only one or two of his whites before, so I am looking forward to the reds.

I'm a fan of South Australian Shiraz when it's not brutally oaked (older Glaetzer, Shirvington, Kilikanoon and other goop) and tend to lean towards more elegant, transparent styles like Henschke, Torzi Matthews and Wendouree.

Salil, here is a WTN of mine dating from 2003 which makes an illustrative study of differences in tolerance of oakiness.

"Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz 1993. Quite a contrast. A big powerful wine. N: At first typical Aussie shiraz bramble (blackberry and black current) fruit but mercifully not reeking of the almost equally typical new American oak. Then mint veering to pepper-mint aromas started to dominate. P: V complex w good depth, concentration and structure. Same mint dominated aromas with some chocolate; strong toffee notes appearing in mid-plate moving into alcohol burn on finish. We could not finish the bottle although it went well with the food (venison with sweet red cabbage and fig compote). Why no more enthusiasm? It is much better integrated, more complex and less obviously dominated by wood than a bottle opened some three years ago. I think that, for me, the problem is the excessive mint, toffee and alcohol notes leading to a lack of elegance and harmony and a sense of clumsiness which increasingly palled. No more than good for me but probably excellent for those who like the style."


With more experience than then, I attribute those toffee flavours which I disliked to the oak. If you like this style, I think that you would like the Gaillard St.Jo 97.

On the other hand I find that criticism of, say, Dominique Laurent for over-oaking is exaggerated but I'm sure that Otto would hate them.

I have one or two bottles of Henscke left; some Mt. Edelstone 95 and a Cab/Syrah blend, I think. About time I took another look.