TN: S. Rhone Varietals from Anywhere

The blind tasting lunch this month was done on a theme of Southern Rhone varietals from anywhere (including the Rhone). Only the initial wines need not be in theme.

2015 J.M. Gobillard et Fils Champagne Cuvée Prestige Millésimé Brut – light colour, green apple nose with some fresh brioche. Clean finish.

2020 Château Simone Palette Rosé – mid pink, medium acidity, nd some butterscotch on palate. Refreshing.

2021 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé – mid pink, excellent forward nose showing a hint of vitamin, with some apple skin in the end. Very good.

2014 Betz Family Bésoleil – dark wine with a very nice nose of spice and red fruit with hints of mint.33% grenache, 24% counoise, 20% syrah 17% cinsault, 6% mourvedre. Warm lengthy finish.

2004 Qupe Syrah Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – dark with purple edges, and a feral gamy nose. Sweet and smooth on palate, with a long sweet finish.

2004 Penfold’s St. Henry Shiraz – very dark wine with a lovely syrah nose including blackberry and plum as well as significant oak. The lengthy finish featured (to no ones surprise) significant American oak.

2023 En Terre Coup de Bol - second label of Terravista wines in BC, this is a blend of cofermented cinsault and Grenache with added syrah. Ripe sweet entry, floral nose and a tad on the jammy side in the finish. First vintage for n experimental wine. Should have served it earlier.

2016 Ferraton Père & Fils Côte-Rôtie – dark, ripe spicy wine, smooth on palate and with excellent length, Very good!

2015 J.M. Gobillard et Fils Champagne Cuvée Prestige Millésimé Brut – I've had three bottles, and there is a fair amount of variation. Light gold, green apple nose with a little brioche and ginger. OK, but not the best bottle I've had.

2020 Château Simone Palette Rosé – Jenise's wine, and a hard to find wine. A fairly dark rose, definitely not from Provence. Lovely floral nose, and butterscotch on the medium bodied palate which was a surprise and wasn't as fresh as could be desired.

2021 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé – I think this was Sue's wine. A bit lighter in colour, with a beautiful nose. Very classic on the nose and palate. Very well integrated, so I assumed it was 4-5 years old. A very classic, outstanding rose. Lovely!

2014 Betz Family Bésoleil – Quite dark, a mix of red and blue fruits, with a smooth, medium bodied palate and a fruit forward wine.

2004 Qupe Syrah Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – Another from Jenise i think. Another dark wine with purple edges, and a wonderfully feral, gamy nose, as Bill mentioned. Well integrated, and this can last. I really liked this meaty syrah, one of my favourites on the day.

2004 Penfold’s St. Henry Shiraz – My wine, a dark wine with a nice nose. We don't have a lot of Australian wine, so I thought I'd bring this. This was drinking really well now but could last many years too. Well integrated, developing some savory notes, very nice. In terms of oak, this wine is famous being the one Penfolds that receives no new oak and only very old, large oak vats are used. One negative, which I get from many Penfold's wines, is that is rather anonymous and international in style.

2023 En Terre Coup de Bol - This seemed like a BC wine. As Bill noted, rather ripe and a bit jammy too. You don't see too many southerm Rhone blends in BC.

2016 Ferraton Père & Fils Côte-Rôtie – As Bill noted, a dark, ripe, spicy wine, quite smooth and nice length. Very good!

I think the Tempier rose was my favorite, with the Qupe syrah and Cote Rotie up there too. Enjoyed the excellent onion tart too!

[David M. Bueker]

Those Qupe Syrahs can go on for a very long time.

[Jenise]

Not having any prior experience with John's Gobillard, I would say it showed well enough--it showed like a French champagne anyway, and the chardonnay was out in front.

The two roses: I loved the dry, savory spice on the Simone, apparently more than anyone else which is okay--I'm definitely not one to be partial to my own wine just because it's mine. But this stood out to me as unsuual though I didn't quite get the butterscotch you pointed out. Butter, maybe, there was a roundness. But not butterscotch in the way I usually apply that descriptor to white wines (btw, I hate butterscotch candy). Where Sue's Tempier was so sleek and classy. It was Catherine Deneuve to the Simone's Juliet Binoche.

2004 Qupe Syrah Syrah Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard – Another from Jenise i think.

Yes, that was mine. I brought it in honor of one of the original California Rhone Rangers, Bob Lindquist, and then I forgot to bring that up. Oh well. My last bottle so we won't see that again, but you're so right that it has a lot of runway left.

2004 Penfold’s St. Henry Shiraz Loved this too--it's my favorite of all the Penfolds bottlings. Bill mentions the American oak but I didn't pick up on that right away.

2023 En Terre Coup de Bol - To Bill--yes this was a lighter style, but I don't actually agree that everything needs to progress from lightest to heaviest (we're all experienced tasters, we can jump around) and I don't believe it would have fared better early on. I'm surprised you didn't use this theme as an excuse to pull an Aussie!

2016 Ferraton Père & Fils Côte-Rôtie – yes, this was excellent. Didn't have the burnt rubber I associate with CR, but I didn't love it any the less for that.

Did we choose a theme for March? I can't remember.

[Jenise]

Addendum: I brought the remainders of the Simone home, and had a glass last night. I now get what John and Bill were calling butterscotch, although without the sweetness IMO just 'butter' would suffice. The wine developed impressively over the four days since it was opened, the fruit is solidly in the pomegranate neighborhood of red fruits, and there's more structure.