Buh-buh-buh-buh-bad to the Rhone! We had a wonderful evening at Graileys last week with a plethora of fantastic Rhone varietals that was most delightful. We started with a stellar bottle of 1989 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape that was drinking spot on! This had far less Brett than the last bottle but the funky, filthy dirt side of the Southern Rhone was abundant in this wine with that certain animal, garrigue, smoked meat, road tar thing that this region can do so well! This is a controversial bottle of wine with several “cork” issues but this bottle has loads of licorice, red currant and exotic spices. The wine was drinking with power and mature tannins that were a pleasure to consume. We followed that with a 2006 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape that was open and ready for business! At 10 years of age, this GSM was more polished and fruity with only white pepper and light sois bois notes to speak of on the savory side. Plump tannins and perfectly ripe fruits of cherries, raspberries and blackberries lead this wine and the spice and white pepper come through on the lengthy finish. A great bottle of Beaucastel to drink now and for the next 7 years!
Then we shifted gears and had two of the best examples of Syrah from California being made today: 2007 Colgin IX Estate Syrah & 2012 Sine Qua None Stock Syrah! The 2007 Colgin was more badass Cote Rotie in style than many of us had expected. Haunting aromatics of beef, violets, lavender, pipe tobacco, tar, blackberries, blueberries, anise and asian spices filled the glass and the palate was all polished fruit, seamless tannins and unending pleasure. This Syrah maintained excellent balance and is aging effortlessly. Wow! The 2012 Sine Qua None was once again outstanding! These wines have such personality that it is easy to pick them out of a lineup. Made from 84% Syrah, 7% Grenache, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Viognier and the rest Mourvedre, it spent 20 months (it’s not yet bottled) in 52% new French oak. Showing the purity and suppleness of the vintage, yet with no lack of concentration, depth or richness, it gives up fabulous cassis, black raspberry, smoked meats and violet-like aromas and flavors that continue to change in the glass. In short, it’s a rock-star Syrah that could come from nowhere else. What are they putting in the wine;)
Lastly we finished by killing a baby of 2010 Penfolds Grange that tasted mostly of pure power, potential and pedigree. 4% Cabernet is blended into this near-perfect stunner that is sure to drink well for 50 years! This First Growth of South Australia has been on a roll and it does not stop with the 2010. The nose is classic menthol and eucalyptus with black fruit notes showing some blueberry aromas and accents of camphor, anise and the slightest floral hint plus a whiff of oak in the background to lend a cedar-laced lift to this textbook Shiraz nose. The palate was very similar except that the tannins and body need time to come together in the bottle. It was still yet another rocking bottle of Penfolds Grange-A true world-class fine wine. Bravo!