Notes from a wine lunch with a theme of Northern Rhone wines.
2016 Alain Voge St Peray Les Bulles d'Alain – this delightful sparkling Marsanne was our starter and it was a very pleasant one at that. Well balanced and with a toasty nose (it was on the lees from 2016 until it was bottled in early 2022) and showing some nice clean fruit notes, and although dry at the finish, it also had an elusive sweetness to it in mid-palate. Very good!
2015 M. Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage Les Meysonniers – there are a lot of so-so Crozes out there but this wine is the opposite – a very dependable drink at a fair price. Very pleasant black cherry nose, dark wine with some earthiness that showed some herbal and smokiness with time in the glass. I will be stocking up on the current vintage!
2009 Domaine Courbis Cornas Champelrose – another dark wine with a slight sweetness in the nose, good stuffing in a modern style with some forest floor and rubber notes. Seemed fully mature.
2010 Ferraton Père & Fils Hermitage Les Miaux – darker win with a nose of sweet fruit – black cherry with hints of tar, and bright acidity. Nice wine probably just coming into prime drinking time.
1995 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage - as always I attempt to add some maturity to the gathering.Medium almost Burgundian colour compared to the other wines, an absolutely killer nose with smoke, black fruit and pepper, and on palate it was well defined and elegant. Excellent length. I bought a case of this on release and this is only the second bottle I have opened – I think it will have a long drinking window from now on and intend to monitor it over the next few years.
1999 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie – darker than the Chave, and with a very pleasant nose of red fruit, soft tannins and good balance – ready to drink.
2004 Michel & Stéphane Ogier Côte-Rôtie – still fairly dark with an excellent nose of black olive, meat and herbs. Finished clean and dry.
2012 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique Ampodium – dark wine, funky red fruit and watermelon nose, with some green unripe strawberry notes. Solid structure but light on its feet and a clean medium length finish.
Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Palo Cortado Apostoles 30 Years Old – dried fruit – figs, and apricots, and then toasted nuts (hazelnuts and maybe walnuts). Long dry finish but the wine had sweet hints that played well of the flavours. Nice!
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