WTN: Red Rhone..2nd Hand Blind Tasting

My recent post asking about

Hermitage Blanc 'Les Recoules' Sorrel 1990

which I wanted to open before the Red Rhone..
led to Bob Parsons suggesting I did a 2nd Hand Blind Tasting.
I have added photos to my blog( which will be
completed after someone guesses).
http://barrys-wine.blogspot.com/
There are 4 photos to help
1: Mid neck levels
2. Place where I purchased it
3. Glass from above showing depth of colour
4. Glass showing the wonderful colour and the mature rim
(click on the photos to enlarge).

OK..that's all the visual help.

The wine had been stood up for 24 hours as it had some sediment. Was decanted 2 hours before tasting.

Now to the pleasurable memory...
Superb colour..dark..and an incredible mature Armagnac tint rim..I could have looked at it all evening( I must find other things to do);
nose exhuded richness, port-like..but of course not sweet, mocca, coffee..even bacon. As to the flavour..you just can't buy it..
super smooth, rich, lush, intense wine with layers of concentrated, soft, velvety fruit, spicy and after all this...still elegant..finesse.
Points 19.5 (about 98 in USA points)...maybe even 20....but a marvellous wine.

I had purchased 6 bottles all those years ago...it cost about Euros 24 which is around $ 30.
I checked my cellar book and had tasted the first 4 over a four year period with my points increasing from 17 to 18.
The fifth bottle I drank about 7 years ago with the same friend as with today's bottle...we gave it 19 I think...and he never failed to mention the memory whenever we met.


OK...who can guess what this legend is?

Barry

OK, I will start the ball rolling. I have 2 initial thoughts...................

1) Could be Cote Rotie?

2) If not, possibly a Chapoutier classic?

Bob P

OK, I will start the ball rolling. I have 2 initial thoughts...................

1) Could be Cote Rotie?

2) If not, possibly a Chapoutier classic?

Bob P

The bacon notes do suggest Syrah from the N. Rhone, but from the description of a rich, almost Port-like wine, I'd say it's more likely Hermitage. From the fill and color we're dealing with an older (30+ yrs) wine from a fantastic vintage. Thus, I'll guess that it's the 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle from Jaboulet.

Mark Lipton

OK, I will start the ball rolling. I have 2 initial thoughts...................

1) Could be Cote Rotie?

2) If not, possibly a Chapoutier classic?

Bob P

The bacon notes do suggest Syrah from the N. Rhone, but from the description of a rich, almost Port-like wine, I'd say it's more likely Hermitage. From the fill and color we're dealing with an older (30+ yrs) wine from a fantastic vintage. Thus, I'll guess that it's the 1961 Hermitage La Chapelle from Jaboulet.

Mark Lipton

Mark,
Can't argue with your or Bob's assesment as I think you are at least in the correct region. What I want to add is a compliment to your definitive answer; not only the area, but the producer and the year. Reminds me of the old days in the Bordeaux Society when guys would bet their cellar on knowing what blind wine they were tasting. Lots of cellars lost in those days but amiration for the commitment.
Walt

Mark,
Can't argue with your or Bob's assesment as I think you are at least in the correct region. What I want to add is a compliment to your definitive answer; not only the area, but the producer and the year. Reminds me of the old days in the Bordeaux Society when guys would bet their cellar on knowing what blind wine they were tasting. Lots of cellars lost in those days but amiration for the commitment.
Walt

Walt,
It's easy to be definitive when you're not betting anything but your own reputation (which in my case is so tarnished as to be worthless). However, Barry did tip his hand a bit by referring to it as a "legend." There are only a few truly legendary wines from the N. Rhone, and the '61 La Chapelle tops the list IMO. Of course, there are many other truly wonderful wines that it could easily be, but if you're guessing secondhand why not swing for the fences?

Mark Lipton

Thought I'd drop in here...I last tasted the 'La Chapelle' 1961 from Jaboulet in 1991 and gave it 19.5
I still have one bottle left..and it still has it's cork in the bottle...


Barry

Thought I'd drop in here...I last tasted the 'La Chapelle' 1961 from Jaboulet in 1991 and gave it 19.5
I still have one bottle left..and it still has it's cork in the bottle...


Barry

OK, Barry. I'll stick with Hermitage for the moment and go with another year. The problem I have is that the power and concentration suggest a hot year, but from the ullage and description it can't be a recent one. That brings us to '78, but the La Chapelle '78 is still a fairly young wine from the accounts that I've read. (Another problem is that La Chapelle as sold in the US bears a colorful neck label and your bottle doesn't seem to have it). It could also be the '78 Chave, which sounds like it's a bit more mature. Outside of Hermitage, I can only see it being a Guigal LaLa or a Clape Cornas. It's sounds too elegant for Cornas, but the power is consistent with the LaLas, so this time I'll go with the '83 Guigal La Landonne. (Still swinging for the fences, Walt)

Mark Lipton

You're almost there Mark....La Landonne has a 'brother'..
hot year is correct...hottest year in the 70's was...?


Barry

PS..I have the Hermitage 78 Chapelle in bottles...which I have not tried yet..but also in halves..which I try once a year...and they are just about ready.....1978 is almost as good as the 61.

You're almost there Mark....La Landonne has a 'brother'..
hot year is correct...hottest year in the 70's was...?

I'd gone with La Landonne over La Mouline because of its power and lack of "exotic" elements in the nose (asian spices, etc.). As for the hottest year of the '70s, I plead ignorance. I know that '70 was a hot, dry year so I'll revise my guess to the 1970 La Mouline.

Mark Lipton

p.s. One of the attractions of playing "blind guess" with wines of the Rhone as opposed to Bdx is that, for wines of this age, there are so few choices of producer. Back in '70, aside from the major negoces (Jaboulet, Chapoutier, Delas) you have only a handful of small vignerons bottling their own wine (Chave, Clape, Guigal, Verset, Jasmin?, Gentaz?)

It's definitely a 1978 Paul Jaboulet Aine, Hermitage La Chapelle. No doubt about it. How do I claim my prize?

Guigal Cote Rotie, not sure which vintage. Hang on. OK the`78 Brune et Blonde.

Hope you slept well guys..waiting for the answer..
First..thanks to Bob for the suggestion I do this....
as wherever I go I am usually asked
to taste something blind...
It is nice to see you guys doing it..albeit with less to work on...
Some great guesses....
Mark..great point..with Rhone you have some sort of chance...
Bordeaux is almost impossible.
I moved to Germany in 1975..and remember the VERY hot 1976...
Bordeaux suffered a little with some baked wines..but not our wine of the Rhone.

Guigal Côte Rôtie ' La Mouline' 1976

All the rest of the evening's pleasures plus the bottle when full....
here:

http://barrys-wine.blogspot.com/


Regards

Barry

So who`s the closest?!!! Looks like Mark.

I moved to Germany in 1975..and remember the VERY hot 1976...
Bordeaux suffered a little with some baked wines..but not our wine of the Rhone.

Aha! *slaps forehead* It's ironic that I know of the heat of '76 from the German perspective (i.e., the higher Prädikat Rieslings of that year) but had never thought of extending that observation to other regions of Europe. Stupid of me...

Nice challenge, Barry. It's good to hear that the incredible oakiness of Guigal's LaLas does in fact integrate given enough time. Of course, they're still priced out of my range these days, but what better reason to taste it secondhand?

Mark Lipton

It only cost me $ 30.....
back then...
probably around $ 700 nowadays...even the younger stuff is way too high...

Glad you enjoyed the 'tasting' guys...I did!


Barry