It's been a while since my last post on the subject, but lest you think that we've abandoned our beloved Red Wings and Red Rhônes, here are four wines from one of our favorite importers that have paired nicely with some big games over the last few weeks. (How 'bout that big come-from-behind win over Shanny and the Rangers tonight? Let's Go Red Wings!!!)
2001 Domaine Chaume-Arnaud Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuvée Granges Rouges, $14.45-17 (low price indicates “proffered customer discount, high price is actual sticker), 13.5% alc.: After taking her first sip of this ruby dark garnet, my better half exclaimed, “This is absolutely delicious,” and I couldn’t agree more. It gives up a lovely, elegant perfume (and perfume is the operative term here) reminiscent of blackberry and black currant shaded with cola, fennel powder and a certain floral element that’s hard to pin down; the blackberry and black currant are even more imposing on the palate, with the cola, fennel and flora augmented by a solid earthy anchor, but that’s not to imply that this is a “big” wine by any means. It’s medium full bodied, with excellent depth and well structured for at least five years of further development, and yet it shows a lovely, seamless balance and again, an elegance that would seem impossible to this taster for any lover of “real wine” not to take a real shine to. It’s already drinking quite well now, especially with any variety of grilled and roasted red meats, but it’ll only get better with some time in the cellar, so drink or hold.
2003 Domaine Chaume-Arnaud Côtes du Rhône Villages Vinsobres, $16.15-19, 13.5% alc.: Dark garnet color, with over-ripe plum, berry and cherry on the nose, following through on the palate with rather un- Rhône-like character, obviously an aberration of the freak vintage. This has a definite sun-baked quality about it, but with air, some earthy undertones emerge to counter-balance the excesses here, although never quite completely. Thick and viscous, dense and concentrated; good, if unobtrusive tannins and deceptive acidity should take this at least a few years down the road, but really, this is already drinking pretty well for the deviant mutation that it is. I have to force myself to forget about where this is from, and then I rather like it; if it was from, say, Australia or even South Africa, I’d have no problem with it, but there’s something about a Vinsobres like this that just doesn’t quite sit right with me “in theory.” Almost 180 degrees difference from the ’01 Cuvée Granges Rouges noted just above, and an indication of what’s to come with the one right below.
2003 Domaine Chaume-Arnaud Côtes du Rhône, $9.35-11, 13.5% alc: Ruby dark garnet in color, and not giving much on the nose at first; eventually, the aromatics give just a hint of what’s to follow on the palate, that being sun-baked ripe plums, currants (both more in the red spectrum than the black) and cherries shaded with earthy undertones and a note of smoke. Full bodied, with good structure and length, this isn’t exactly “typical,” whatever that might mean anymore, and shows obvious characteristics of the intensely hot vintage, but it’s a pretty good wine for all of that, showing good QPR and promise for at least a few years of further development. Not what I’m looking for in my Côtes du Rhône, but damned if I don’t like it anyway.
2003 Domaine des Girasols Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau, $23.99, 14.5% alc.: We loved the 1993 Domaine Des Girasols Côtes du Rhône Vieilles Vignes back in ’01, so it wasn’t much of a leap to take a chance on this one; it’s no freak vintage mutant, but rather a balanced, lovely and eminently drinkable ruby dark garnet Southern Rhône blend that delivers everything one could ask for at this price point. On the nose, it gives subtly herbaceous red berries and plums shaded with some soft leather, and there’s plenty more of the same on the palate, all over a discreet, earthy base. Savory and delicious, this isn’t exactly rustic, but neither is it in the “international style;” it’s well structured, but not so as to intrude on the pleasure of drinking one tonight. Still, it has the backbone to develop and improve for at least five years, and best of all, I know where I can get more. Tasted twice, with consistent impressions.
Domaine Chaume-Arnaud and Domaine des Girasols imported by J et R Selections, Mount
Pleasant, MI
-from Red Wings and Red Rhônes 2007
Reporting from Day-twah,
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