Monday, March 21, 2005
Saturday March 19, 2005-Ampuis France. We stated the day at the start of the Rhone Discovery week at the Salle Polytechnique in Ampuis.
Imagine a gymnasium full of only Cote Rotie and Condrieu and every producer you know and many more that you don't are all there. Upon arrival we ran immediately into Morgan Clendenen of Cold Heaven from Santa Barbara. She immediately introduced Helene and I to her winemaking cohort, Yves Cuilleron, and scored us an invite to the magnum party tonight.
For the most part both the 2003 and 2004 Condrieu wines were very good, but the final product varies by producer. While some may age more than two years, for the most part these are wines to drink with 18 months of purchase.
The 2004 Francois Villard was a standout showing nothing but gorgeous fruit. Unlike many of the 04's that are still evolving, this is a finished and complete wine that is super saturated with melons-- honeydew and cantaloupe, plus peach melba, orange zest and tangerine. The three Cuilleron 2003 Condrieus were all strikingly different with the Vertige showing the greatest balance and elegance. The La Challets was all apples and pears with La Petite Cote being very drinkable now and the most classic in style.
Philippe Faury has had his wines imported for over ten years by Kermit Lynch, and I've been drinking them ever since. Both his 03 and 04 Classic style Condrieus are outstanding with rich, muscular and fleshy fruit of honeydew, apricots, plus the 04 showing off more extracted cantaloupe, peach and honey notes. But as nice as the Faury wines are at the traditional level, it is his 03 La Berne that really turned my head. Showing off lovely fruit, the peach and honey based wine has a brisk acidity that works great with the honeydew and apricot base.
The 2004 Domaine Pierre Gaillard Condrieu is young and developing while the 2003 Domaine Boisonnet which we were directed to by Morgan, shows perfect balance as it is a smooth, soft and lush Condrieu.
Yves Gangloff has made a very big and still evolving 2004 Condrieu. It really needs time to settle down, but first impressions are it will be a hit. I can't say the same for the 04 Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu which was hot with off putting acidity. The 04 La Chambee is the better wine showing more balance and length.
Negociant Eric Texier has some hits on his hands, despite a tiny white wine production. His 2003 Condrieu Janrade is very good, as its smoothness and balance let's the apricot, peach and melon flavors pour through. The 04 from the parcel is even better, but only 75 cases were made with about 15 exported to the USA. Texier's classique 04 Viognier is also showing very well, revealing a finished wine full of peach, melon and pear flavors. Texier also sneaked me a taste of his 2004 Brezeme, a 100 percent Roussanne wine that was sawdust and sweetgrass on the nose, with crenshaw melon and peaches through to the finish.
I really enjoyed the 2004 M. Chapoutier Condrieu. Easily one of the top wines of the morning, it is really lush and complex but sadly all the red Chapoutier's I tasted were just so-so both here and at the Hermitage tasting.
Earl Mouton produced two different Condrieus the past two vintages. The 03 Bonnet is even and lush on the palate, with flavors of honeydew melon, apricots and pears on top of the flinty and wet stone base.The 2003 Chatillon is a better wine, showing more balance and a more forward structure. The 04's dis not show as well, being more backwards at this point.
2003 Philippe Verzier Condrieu shows off good length, with a touch of crème caramel, violets, bananas and cantaloupe fruit. The 2003 Porte Vincent Condrieu is very balanced, showing off floral scents and honey highlights. The 2003 Porte Vincent Nobelese de Vernon is even more impressive with a dry style and well balanced pear, apricot and honeydew flavors. I cannot say the same for the 2003 Lauren Betton Condrieu, which was hot and acidic. Equally disappointing was the 2004 Georges Vernay that was just average.
Paul Jaboulet Aine's 2004 is better than the surprisingly stunning 03 delivering more balance and forward fruit.
Now it's time for lunch and the Bistrot a Vins de Serine where some amazing dishes were served and where we had a very fresh 2004 Cotes du Rhone blanc and a pot of 2003 Cotes du Rhone rouge. The white was very easy to drink while the red showed a garnet color and delightful black raspberry and plum flavors.
Now the reds beckoned for Saturday....Cote Rotie..then Hermitage and Cornas on Sunday and more....
Imagine a gymnasium full of only Cote Rotie and Condrieu and every producer you know and many more that you don't are all there. Upon arrival we ran immediately into Morgan Clendenen of Cold Heaven from Santa Barbara. She immediately introduced Helene and I to her winemaking cohort, Yves Cuilleron, and scored us an invite to the magnum party tonight.
For the most part both the 2003 and 2004 Condrieu wines were very good, but the final product varies by producer. While some may age more than two years, for the most part these are wines to drink with 18 months of purchase.
The 2004 Francois Villard was a standout showing nothing but gorgeous fruit. Unlike many of the 04's that are still evolving, this is a finished and complete wine that is super saturated with melons-- honeydew and cantaloupe, plus peach melba, orange zest and tangerine. The three Cuilleron 2003 Condrieus were all strikingly different with the Vertige showing the greatest balance and elegance. The La Challets was all apples and pears with La Petite Cote being very drinkable now and the most classic in style.
Philippe Faury has had his wines imported for over ten years by Kermit Lynch, and I've been drinking them ever since. Both his 03 and 04 Classic style Condrieus are outstanding with rich, muscular and fleshy fruit of honeydew, apricots, plus the 04 showing off more extracted cantaloupe, peach and honey notes. But as nice as the Faury wines are at the traditional level, it is his 03 La Berne that really turned my head. Showing off lovely fruit, the peach and honey based wine has a brisk acidity that works great with the honeydew and apricot base.
The 2004 Domaine Pierre Gaillard Condrieu is young and developing while the 2003 Domaine Boisonnet which we were directed to by Morgan, shows perfect balance as it is a smooth, soft and lush Condrieu.
Yves Gangloff has made a very big and still evolving 2004 Condrieu. It really needs time to settle down, but first impressions are it will be a hit. I can't say the same for the 04 Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu which was hot with off putting acidity. The 04 La Chambee is the better wine showing more balance and length.
Negociant Eric Texier has some hits on his hands, despite a tiny white wine production. His 2003 Condrieu Janrade is very good, as its smoothness and balance let's the apricot, peach and melon flavors pour through. The 04 from the parcel is even better, but only 75 cases were made with about 15 exported to the USA. Texier's classique 04 Viognier is also showing very well, revealing a finished wine full of peach, melon and pear flavors. Texier also sneaked me a taste of his 2004 Brezeme, a 100 percent Roussanne wine that was sawdust and sweetgrass on the nose, with crenshaw melon and peaches through to the finish.
I really enjoyed the 2004 M. Chapoutier Condrieu. Easily one of the top wines of the morning, it is really lush and complex but sadly all the red Chapoutier's I tasted were just so-so both here and at the Hermitage tasting.
Earl Mouton produced two different Condrieus the past two vintages. The 03 Bonnet is even and lush on the palate, with flavors of honeydew melon, apricots and pears on top of the flinty and wet stone base.The 2003 Chatillon is a better wine, showing more balance and a more forward structure. The 04's dis not show as well, being more backwards at this point.
2003 Philippe Verzier Condrieu shows off good length, with a touch of crème caramel, violets, bananas and cantaloupe fruit. The 2003 Porte Vincent Condrieu is very balanced, showing off floral scents and honey highlights. The 2003 Porte Vincent Nobelese de Vernon is even more impressive with a dry style and well balanced pear, apricot and honeydew flavors. I cannot say the same for the 2003 Lauren Betton Condrieu, which was hot and acidic. Equally disappointing was the 2004 Georges Vernay that was just average.
Paul Jaboulet Aine's 2004 is better than the surprisingly stunning 03 delivering more balance and forward fruit.
Now it's time for lunch and the Bistrot a Vins de Serine where some amazing dishes were served and where we had a very fresh 2004 Cotes du Rhone blanc and a pot of 2003 Cotes du Rhone rouge. The white was very easy to drink while the red showed a garnet color and delightful black raspberry and plum flavors.
Now the reds beckoned for Saturday....Cote Rotie..then Hermitage and Cornas on Sunday and more....
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