[wine] Rhone Wines at Oddfellows

----- Forwarded message from "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> ----- Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 15:32:15 -0500 From: "Jim L. Ellingson" <jellings(a)me.umn.edu> To: wine(a)thebarn.com Subject: [wine] Current Fr. Whites, Zins at Oddfellows Greetings, This week, we're doing Rhone Wines at Oddfellows. Your choices include whites, reds and of course "ringers". (Ringers. Wines the approach the style of the day in the glass, but do not fully fit the criteria. e.g. Rhone style wines not from France) The Wine Enthusiast Vintage Chart says the bigger reds from 1997 and older are ready to drink (e.g. Hermitage, Ch Neuf du Pape, etc.) 2002 wines may also be ready. Smaller wines (Cotes Du Rhone) from more recect vintages are probably ready. Oddfellows is one block east of Surdyks on Hennepin. These are mostly guesses. Tables are small, so make the reservation for two more than we expect? Reminder that we go to Five next week. We're down for 10 people, but we want to provide Joyce and the rest. w/ an update by next Tuesday. Surdyk's Heart Healthy Sale is Th-Saturday. All wines are 20% off. Betsy Bob Lori Annette Nicolai Jim/Louise Russ/Sue Cheers, Jim January 22, 2003 A Rhone With Substance, but No Pretense By FRANK J. PRIAL C�TES DU RH�NE is looked at as the poor relative of the great Rhone wines like Hermitage, Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape and C�te R�tie. It is thought of in France as an inexpensive, unpretentious bar wine; ask for a glass of red in a cafe and very likely you will be served a C�tes du Rh�ne. The millions of gallons of it produced each year by dozens of anonymous cooperatives do little to change that opinion. To their credit, C�tes du Rh�ne producers rarely try to fool anyone. While C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages may sell for $20 or more, most ordinary C�tes go for about $10, with some in the current market as low as $6. The Dining section's tasting panel had a pleasant afternoon sampling 26 C�tes. Going into the tasting with the preconceived notion that these could be tough, harsh and cheap wines, we left it thinking that this was one of the more enjoyable groups of wines we have encountered since this panel began its explorations. Our panel consisted of three regulars . Amanda Hesser, Eric Asimov and me . along with Sam Perkins, executive editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine. We limited ourselves to wines from the 1999, 2000 and 2001 vintages with one orphan, a 1998. Mr. Perkins called the wines in our tasting "not complex, but interesting." Mr. Asimov said he was "pleasantly surprised." "These wines were almost amazingly consistently good," he added, while Ms. Hesser found them to have "a great range." And at times, I thought this was a Ch�teauneuf tasting. The vast Rhone Valley is divided into two regions, north and south. Most simple C�tes du Rh�ne wines come from the softer, warmer southern Rhone, although a few of the best, like Jaboulet's famous Parall�le 45, come from the north. Those from the northern Rhone are mostly C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages. The Rhone Valley has 17 different appellations. C�tes du Rh�ne is by far the largest, stretching 60 miles north and south and 30 miles east to west. In all, 24 different grapes can be used to make C�tes du Rh�ne, although usually a dozen or fewer are used. Only four red grapes can be in the Villages wines. Chief among the red grapes are grenache and carignan. The best reds may also include syrah and mourv�dre. Because the C�tes du Rh�ne area is so large and varied geographically, vintages are less meaningful than they would be for smaller appellations. In his book "Rhone Renaissance" (Wine Appreciation Guild, 1996), Remington Norman says of C�tes du Rh�ne: "In the main, vintages follow Ch�teauneuf and Gigondas." That being the case, 1999, 2000 and 2001 were all good years. The least expensive wine in our selection was $8, the most expensive $28, and 11 of the C�tes were $12 or less. Five of them were $20 or more. All in all, we considered them bargains. Assembling a list of the top 10 was not easy, as our overall scores were mostly in the two- to two-and-a-half-star range. Thus a healthy bunch of wines with two stars missed out on our chart, but I would not hesitate to buy any of them. Our No. 1 choice was a 2001 St. Cosme Les Deux Albion, at $18. Mr. Asimov had a series of complimentary words for it: "fruity," "spicy," "meaty," and I, too, thought it was substantial. Seven wines scored two and a half stars, including our best value, the 2000 Paul Jaboulet A�n� Parall�le 45, at $8. Mr. Perkins called it "mouth-filling, a wine that grew on me," while Mr. Asimov referred to it as "classic southern Rhone wine." The 2001 Belleruche from M. Chapoutier, at $8, was third, which meant that none of the top three were from the higher Villages appellation, and only three of the top 10 were C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages. Two of the wines on our chart came from the Perrin family, who own Ch�teau Beaucastel in Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape: the 2000 Coudelet de Beaucastel, at $28 the most expensive wine at our tasting, and the 2000 Perrin R�serve, at $9 one of the least expensive. A few wines we thought highly of, but that missed the list, included a Domaine St.-Gayan, C�tes du Rh�ne-Village Rasteau ($14); a Domaine du Jas C�tes du Rh�ne ($11); an Eric Texier Br�z�me Vieilles Vignes C�tes du Rh�ne ($20), all from 2000; and a 1998 Domaine les Goubert Beaume de Venise, C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages, $15. For the most part, this was a remarkable group of wines. They were rich, intense and, for wines supposed to be almost rustic and one-dimensional, actually both smooth-textured and complex. Everyone commented on the delightful spiciness many of them showed. The word peppery appeared in several of the critiques. It was also quite clear that with the exception of the Parall�le 45 and the Perrin R�serve, both exceptional bargains, price did make a difference, according to our taste buds. The $15 to $18 wines showed the extra care that went into making them. Unlike Bordeaux and California wines, where high prices are often related to hype, these wines showed that extra touch of finesse that comes with the winemaker's skill and devotion. Almost any of our top 10, served in a decanter, would be mistaken for something much higher up the price scale, particularly Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape. Wine prices are tumbling everywhere; perhaps the prices here will, too. But these wines are good buys at their present levels. Tasting Report: A Wine That Finishes What It Sets Out to Do St. Cosme Les Deux Albion C�tes du Rh�ne 2001 $18 *** Spicy, intense wine that reminded Eric Asimov of a good Ch�teauneuf-du-Pape. Big and chewy, Amanda Hesser said, while Frank J. Prial called it substantial and balanced with good fruit. But Sam Perkins found it green. BEST VALUE: Paul Jaboulet A�n� Parall�le 45 C�tes du Rh�ne 2000 $8 ** 1/2 Elegant and harmonious, Prial said, and Asimov called it meaty and a classic southern Rhone wine. Perkins found it mouth-filling yet not too big, and he called it classy, while Hesser liked the finish. M. Chapoutier Belleruche C�tes du Rh�ne 2001 $8 ** 1/2 Nuanced and interesting, Perkins said, with aromas of dried berries and plums. What you look for in a C�tes du Rh�ne, Prial asserted. Hesser found it delicate, while Asimov thought it improved in the glass with exposure to air. Domaine Alary La Jean de Verde C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages Cairanne 2000 $27 ** 1/2 Rich and full-bodied, with an elegant finish, Prial enthused. Asimov found it complex, with a long finish; Perkins, too, remarked on the finish, and found sour cherry aromas. Hesser felt it improved with exposure to air. Coudoulet de Beaucastel C�tes du Rh�ne 2000 $28 ** 1/2 Spicy and lively, Hesser said, with aromas of anise and tobacco. Perkins surprised himself by detecting the aroma of oatmeal. Asimov liked the herbal aromas and flavors, and Prial found it dry and peppery. Tardieu-Laurent Guy Louis C�tes du Rh�ne 1999 $24 ** 1/2 Hesser was put off by the oak. Asimov, too, found it oaky but liked its complexity and herb and olive aromas. Prial liked the wine a lot, feeling it was burly enough to carry the oak. Perkins enjoyed the berry aromas. Olivier Cuilleras Vieilles Vignes C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages Visan 2000 $16 ** 1/2 Big, intense and concentrated, with lots of fruit, Asimov said, and Prial called it flamboyant with good body. Perkins found it balanced and elegant, but not a blockbuster. Hesser liked it but detected some funk. Ch�teau des Tours C�tes du Rh�ne 1999 $15 ** 1/2 Prial found it spicy and very attractive. Integrated, was Hesser's description. Perkins tasted lots of fruit but felt it was thinnish. Asimov also tasted an abundance of fruit, but thought it was almost over the top. Perrin R�serve C�tes du Rh�ne 2000 $9 ** Short but well balanced, Perkins said. Prial found it solid, with spice, fruit and richness, while Asimov found it round and rich. Hesser called it well-balanced but said the fruit was hidden. Domaine les Aphillanthes Cuv�e des Galets C�tes du Rh�ne-Villages 2000 $18 ** Prial loved the richness and long finish. Perkins liked the balance, and called it plummy. Hesser found it a very simple, straightforward wine, and Asimov described it as earthy and rustic . in a good way. -- ------------------------------ * * Dr. James Lee Ellingson, Adjunct Professor jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, tel: 651/645-0753 fax 651 XXX XXXX * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *