Domaine des Remizieres "Cuvee Emilie" Hermitage 2001

Deep, slightly evolved, red.

Vinturi - licorice, mint, raspberry coulis, date, earth nose.

Round, mouth-filling. Texturally quite different from the Cote Roties. Reasonably fine-grained tannin more evenly matched with acidity. Resulting chew hits front teeth but does not shut the mouth down. Another "modern" approach to N. Rhone Syrah that works on a textural level, but leaves a bit to be desired in the complexity department. Will it develop additional complexity with more time in bottle? Maybe. Not at all convinced. Today the Jamet rules.



$60

Ogier, Cote Rotie 2001

Slightly less saturated, and evolved, than the Jamet.

Vinturi - interesting - less open, more discreet - iron/game, suave oak spice. An hour later - wildly expressive, lifted, adding black fruit compote and a medicinal nuance.

Round and suave in the mouth, fuller than the Jamet with better structural integration at this point. Intelligent use of new oak (Jamet Sr. apparently used to work in Guigal's cellar), but also less interesting - more volume but less to say. Still, beautiful wine. Even apparent Brett character is well-integrated. Acid-driven tannic chew slowly mounts.


$60

Jamet, Cote Rotie 2001

Saturated, slightly evolved, red/purple.

Vinturi - great nose - breakfast sausage, licorice, wilted greens, woodsmoke/smoked ham. Hints of black raspberry and tomato. Killer.

Middle-weight impression. Acid-driven tannic structure, dense and linear simultaneously. Structural tension hits the salivary glands where it counts. Deep but light, with smoked meat "perfume" lighting up the mouth mouth start to finish. Acid/tannin synergy clamps down in the finish a bit. Will benefit from several more years in the cellar (6-8?). RFG.


$50

Prager, Riesling, Smaragd, Achleiten 2004

Full yellow.

Opened two days ago. Nose of spicy grapefruit/lemon marmalade and wax. Deep.

Extremely concentrated in the mouth. Full-bodied. Mineral/tannic chew counters richness immediately. Huge for Riesling. Finish of mineral/citrus "chew" doesn't seem to end. Wild, killer, Riesling that will win converts with red wine only types.


$40. From one of Austria's greatest vineyards (Achleiten).

Domaine La Florane "Terre Pourpre" Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan 2007

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - nose is discreet but loaded with fresh, spicy, black fruit, earth and licorice.

Intense, packed. Even has the tomato/spicy ketchup action that old school CdP often shows, but has pure, fresh black fruit as well. Great acid/tannin synergy keeps this lively - front teeth coated in "mineral" chew. Great mid-palate material to buffer structure. This is stupid. Will benefit from many years in the bottle. FK and a ridiculous value.


$20. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre.

Livio Felluga, Pinot Grigio, Collio 2008

Straw/light yellow.

Fine, discreet nose - pepper/herb, nut skin, smoke, ripe lemon/apple/pear. Vibrant.

Pepper/herb character immediately takes center stage, with softer fruit flavors hitting in the mid-palate. Still, pepper runs the length of the court. Beautiful acid/light mineral edge keeps this mouthwatering throughout. Way tasty and complex to boot. Not what most folks think of when they hear Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris, for that matter). Individual.


$20. Great, refreshing deal. Tin-lined screwcap.

Vieux Donjon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001

Deep, evolved red. Rust rim.

Vinturi - wild, killer, old school nose - resinous herbs, wood smoke, cherry liqueur, ripest tomato, menthol, Asian spices, grilled meat.

Round, expansive and edgeless in the mouth. Loaded but not heavy at all. Most of the aromatic notes repeat in the mouth. Nice acid/tannin synergy slowly firms things up. Light chew on the front teeth. God this is FK. Long wood smoke/herb finish.



$50. Never the flashiest CdP in its youth, but great with cellar time. This thing should drink well for a very long time.