Doug Powers

9.2

Last bottle of this I opened 3-4 months ago was marred by a bad cork, but this bottle was very fine, up to expectations for this “Lirac” in Côtes du Rhône clothing that I’ve reported on a few times previously!! — 7 days ago

with Jim and

Doug Powers

9.3

[60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre] Still very grapey and primary, I actually tasted this wine in barrel in May of 2019 at the Chateau, and it tastes like it’s barely evolved since then, great acid, ripe, round tannins, long, lingering finish, this should easily age another 10 years based on my history of tasting this cuvée since the 1998!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.2

Lovely aged red Rhone, this wine has 15 varietals (red and white) co-fermented and aged 12 months in oak barriques, 14% ABV, though no hint of too much, great balance and complexity, lingering finish, very fine and Special!! — 5 months ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

8.9

Rich and full-bodied Tavel-style southern French rose, nice acid, very nice balance, lingering finish!! — a month ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.0

Floral, white stonefruits, minerality, lovely balance, fine acidity and freshness, medium-long finish, very fine Lirac blanc!! — 2 months ago

with Jim and

Doug Powers

9.3

[92% Grenache, 8% Mourvedre] Lovely ripe red-fruited Grenache with dark-fruited Mourvèdre providing additional backbone and structure, drinking well now, but the the balance and structure to last another 5-10 years, long, lingering finish. — 5 months ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.1

[40% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 10% Mourvèdre, 10% Counoise] So, quick backstory on this one, the proprietor of Montfaucon and my brother spent a year together at UCD in whatever degrees they each got, but it was Viticulture and Enology, about 35 years ago, which about 20 years ago led to their producer/importer relationship. Anyway, Rodolphe (Rudi) always labeled this as a Côtes du Rhône, but most of the fruit was actually grown within the confines of Lirac. Eventually Rudi decided to join the Lirac grape growers association, and separated this cuvée into Lirac “Baron Louis” and Lirac and Côtes du Rhône. So, bottom line, this 50-90 year-old-vine cuvée (apparently 12 months in small oak barrels, but I’d guess NOT new) Lirac (CdR in this case) has always drank like a mini-CdP, and this 2009 is mature, or close, but still shows great acidity and balance (14% ABV), medium-long finish, very, very fine Côtes du Rhône!! K&L in SF (direct import) and I believe Kobrand on East Coast import these wines!! Finally, for full disclosure, Rudi is a friend, I have NFI, but I do have a lot of his wines in my cellar. Anyway, not sure what vintage was “relabeled” Lirac instead of CdR, but at least starting by 2014 the “Baron Louis” you might see at retail will be “Lirac”!! — 9 months ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

9.1

Very intense mineral and floral aromas and flavors in this lovely Lirac blanc, depth and complexity from the old vines really show in the long, lingering finish, drinking beautifully tonight! — a month ago

with Jim and

Doug Powers

9.3

This 2017 Lirac is 99% Clairette (and 1% Grenache Blanc) from an old head-pruned vineyard with 125-year-old vines which always produces such an unique white wine, some of the previous vintages have seemed to develop rather quickly, but this well-balanced beauty is still going strong at age 9, long, lingering finish, Rudi nailed this vintage, lovely!! — 2 months ago

with Jim

Doug Powers

8.9

I’ve loved this wine for 6-7 years, since I first tasted it at Montfaucon in France, lovely redfruits and quite complex for a Lirac (CdRV), longish finish, really a lovely wine!! — 6 months ago

with Jim