Côtes du Rhône Red Rhone Blend

Popped in poured, consumed over a several hour period. The 2016 Clape Côtes du Rhône pours a deep purple color with a nearly opaque core with medium+ viscosity with significant staining of tears. There are slight signs of sediment. No signs of gas. On the nose, the wine is initially pretty funky. It has that nearly poopy diaper sort of thing going, but it’s so typical in reductive Syrah. This blows off within minutes and reveals a tremendous amount of dark bramble fruit, black plum, blueberry, deli case, olive brine, lavender, dried herbs, and baking spices. There is a bit of the animal that’s sticking around too. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and includes quite a bit of black pepper. A lovely wine and it’s almost unfair to have it labeled as CdR. This is drinking so well right now but could very well impress through 2030+…but why wait?

Very dense maroon in colour for a CdR, but it is from the warm 2016 vintage. Ripe red and blue fruits with a feral barnyard type note - not Brett as yet. Very youthful for a CdR - totally different to a Guigal CdR which is less concentrated and is approachable immediately. This is medium to full bodied with black cherry and earthy notes - medium plus intensity. In retrospect I opened this too young. This was the first of 3 - next in a few years.

Rich Ruby in colour. Muted nose. I made the mistake of not decanting but ended up putting it through one of those funnel type aereators. With swirling this released black pepper, red and black berries with a note of cinnamon. The medium bodied palate was latent, tight and self contained finishing with fine sandy tannins. In hindsight I should have left this for a few years but was guided by JM’s drinking window from Wine Spectator of 2019 to 2021. This is a better class of CdR and priced accordingly. Vine age is 30 to 60 years with a small amount (2%) from young vine Cornas.

Alabama whitetail, venison stew.

Elegant w 8 years of age, starting to go tertiary, still quite young actually

Just ready now!!

Blackcurrant on the nose. Refined on the palate with m tannins, m acidity, very enjoyable.

Whoaaaaa. If you told me this was Cornas I would not think twice. Sandy texture, earth centric, barnyard and subtle funk, herbaceous, green olive, black pepper and slate. Very, very young but refined, restrained, complex, and intensely forthcoming.

This was fairly closed for a 3 year old Cotes du Rhone and I wished I had read other tasters of this Wine on Delectable before pulling the Wine and giving it more time in the cellar. This was 100% Syrah and was more structured and serious than one usually expects from CdR. Dried Plum with Charcoal notes. Nothing like CdR from Guigal at around $20. This was $64 AUD. Would like to try in 5+ years.

This is not your grandmothers cotes du Rhone. Holy cow. Bacon fat on this 2019. Brilliant. Expensive. But brilliant.