Again with the Grenache? Parade of 05 Chateauneuf's...

Angeles Wine Agency Importer Tasting Monday February 26th. Fort Mason Center, San Francisco.
The highlight: A first glimpse at the much anticipated and soon to be released 2005 Chateauneuf du Papes...
I know, I know. Here we go again with the Grenache. But I have to say, a lineup of 25 or so of Alain Jungenet's Chateauneuf producers was too much for me to pass up. I did my best impression of a kid in a candy store for this tasting (Allie is mad at me since she had to stay home and study) and I was not disappointed. This was the first bunch of the tremendous 2005's that I've had the fortune to taste and I have to say, I am very impressed. The quality across the board was very strong and consistent, not a stinker in the bunch a few wines that absolutely blew me away. These wines are firmly structured with loads of stuffing for the long haul. They are not as fat as the 2001's but they come close. The 2005's are getting various levels of hype from all the major reviewers, but the overall concensus is that these are not wines to be missed. They are ageworthy, but should be accessible and be tons of fun to drink only a few years after release.
So I'm not going to waste much time blabbering on today, I'm just gonna get into the wines. These wines start arriving in April, some will not release until August.

Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition 2005
Ripe cherry and kirsch liquor on the nose. Classic spicy notes and bright ripe cherry fruit on the midpalate. Very well balanced with well integrated tannin. Finish is soft and long. A great example of what the British would call a classique, or "regular bottling" Chateauneuf. A perfect foil for grilled lamb chops or a spicy cassoulet.
89 points

Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chante Le Merle 2005
Bosquet des Papes flagship wine, A nose loaded with creme de cassis and lavender. Very exotic aromatics jump out of the glass. On the palate it is rich with well integrated tannins and vibrant with loads of dark cherry and plum fruit. Showed a ton of spice and minerals on the finish. Always a strong candidate for ageing, this will reward patience. No doubt.
94 points

Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape "A la Gloire de Mon Grand-Pere" 2005
A very interesting "super chateauneuf" 98% old vine Grenache tempered with 2% Grenache Blanc. Not a common blend but maybe it should be...Tremendously aromatic and vibrant on the nose with loads of black raspberry and blueberry fruit, spicy garrigue and sweet cocoa with great plush and velvety texture. Long, long, long finish. Evolves in the glass constantly. I wanted to just smell it forever.
95 points

Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee Baron" 2005
One of my favorite classic, old school style Chateauneuf producers, Chateau Fortia always makes me think of what these wines would have been like in my grandparents heyday. Sultry and seductive, with a smoky and ever evolving nose. I was truly impressed as this changed minute to minute in the glass. Loads of raspberry and rosemary on the palate with bright acidity and perfect balance. Long and supple on the finish.
93 points

Clos des Brusquieres Chateauneuf du Pape 2005
Another great "Classique" Chateaneuf- this was very expressive on the nose, calling to mind bright cherry fruit and cotton candy. On the palate it is a bit firmer, with darker fruits and baking spices evolving into hints of bacon and coffee. Richly tannic this will reward a few years of bottle age.
91 points

Olivier Hillaire Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition 2005
The first vintage under his own name. Hillaire has purchased the property formerly know as Domaine de la Relagnes and he has made a statement! Favoring more modern techniques and style- these wines are flashy and exciting. Big bold and cherry fruited on the nose, the palate shows even more intense kirsch fruit and a spicy, exotic very long finish.
93 points

Oliver Hillaire Chateauneuf du Pape "Les Petits Pieds d'Armand" 2005
Hillaire's super cuvee from the oldest vine parcels, this blockbuster Chateauneuf is amazing in its first vintage! Amazingly explosive nose of violets, super ripe cherry, rosemary with hints of cocoa and coffee. Saturated, almost purple in tone all the way to the rim, the palate gives way more than a mouthful of exotic red and black fruits, kirsch, plum, black cherry. Big and powerful, but seamless in its texture, the finish lasts close to a minute. My tasting note actually said "HOLY SHIT" but this is a wine I'll not soon forget.
95 points

Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape 2005
Gorgeous aromatics! Rosemary, lavender, cassis and tobacco. On the palate it is rich and firm, loads of spicy fruit and garrigue, giving much, but promising much more for the patient. This is the epitome of age worthy Chateauneuf. You want to save it, but can you really wait??? You should, as this will become a beautiful and seductive mistress after a few years in the bottle.
94 points

Mas De Boislauzon Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition 2005
One of my favorite lesser known producers. Loads of black and sour cherry dominate the nose. On the palate this is spicy and rich with a broad midpalate and well balanced finish. Very exotic and seductive.
91 points

Mas de Boislauzon Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee de Quet" 2005
"ARRRRGGGGHHH! It's a pirate wine! Sorry, the unconventional label on the "Cuvee de Quet" always reminds me of a pirates treasure map. And a buried treasure it is. Mas de Boislauzon's super cuvee is firm and super rich, this only hinted at the wine it will become after a few years in the bottle. Deep and dark in color, one wonders how Grenache gets to be that shade of purple. Lavishly spicy on the nose, with layer after layer of rich, mouthfilling fruit on the palate. The finish is dense and firm, promising to become much more enticing as it ages.
94 points

Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition 2005
This estate has rapidly become one of my favorites for consistently excellent Chateauneuf since the 98 vintage. while this does not have the explosive power of the "Cuvee de Mon Aieul" (read on) it is blessed with a very approachable personality and bright almost efflusive fruit and spice character. Dense without being too weighty, loaded with cherry and hints of cola, nutmeg and rosemary. I would drink this for the next few years as we wait for its big brother (Aieul) to show its true colors.
91 points

Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee de Mon Aieul" 2005
Talk about an ageworthy Chateauneuf! This cuvee always rewards (demands) patience, and the 05 is no exception. Firm, almost monolithic in its structure, this shows super intense dark fruit and a rich, but balanced structure. I would let this sleep at least 5 years before disturbing it. The 98 and 2000 Aieul's are really starting to come out of their shells now, so
I will use that as my guide for consumption.
94 points

Cheers,
TRC

Welcome to Capo's Wineblog

Welcome to Capo's Wineblog.
This being my first foray into wine criticism/review, I thought it would be best to give just a few notes on my background. I grew up on the East Coast in a food and wine loving family. My Aunt Morgan was (and still is) in the wine business, so great wine always made it to our table for holidays and gatherings. I started tasting wine long before my 21st birthday, so I got a bit of a head start into the world of wine. I think I was 13 (might have been 14) when I tasted a flight of six Chardonnays together for the first time. Learning the differences between different places and vintages has always captivated me. The unending learning curve of the wine world is addictive (intellectually speaking) and I have to say that those who have gotten a taste for it are never the same. I had an early preference for white wines until a college friend (Thanks Erin) introduced me to some mid range reds and that, as they say, was that. I drank every wine I could afford (not that many on a waiter's salary) for a few years, until I got a job as Sommelier for Chef Cindy Wolf Charleston in Baltimore, MD. Under Tony Foreman, I had the opportunity to taste and learn well beyond my salaries limitation, and it helped to turn me from an interested hobbyist into a Chateauneuf crazed lunatic. A few years of this sort of liver expanding "study" and I felt ready to head west.
After Thanksgiving 2005, Allie and I packed up the car, threw the dog in the back seat and headed west to wine country...
So here I find myself in America's undisputed epicenter of wine culture...and I've decided to write a blog. Why? Well to give me something to do while Allison studies for the Bar, and to make myself taste and think about wine in a more cohesive manner.

Do you find yourself always scouring the wine aisles looking for a label you DON"T recognize? Do your friends automatically (and somewhat fearfully) hand the wine list to you when you go out to eat? Do your friends wonder why you have no savings, then look into your cellar and mumble something about bad fiscal planning? Congratulations, you're one of us...this blog's for you.

So without further ado, here's what I'm drinking this week, in no particular order.

1) Russian Hill "Top Block" Syrah, Russian River Valley, 2003
Actually, this is first for a reason. This is most likely one of the best California Syrahs I've tasted in a few years. Beautiful delineation of fruit, super ripe raspberry and kirsch aromas dominate the nose, giving way to soft and elegant floral tones
(no doubt a product of the small percentage of co-fermented viognier, a'la Cote Rotie). On the palate the texture is full and plush with considerable depth of dark raspberry and plum fruit with soft and integrated tannins. The finish is bright and long with hints of licorice, white pepper and cola. I served this with a roasted pork loin with a cherry compote and some wild mushroom risotto with considerable success. A tremendous glass of Syrah and a tremendous value. Retail price is around $34 if you can find this very very limited gem.
95 points.


2) Domaine de la Janasse, Cotes-du-Rhone 2004
As you will soon learn dear reader, my Allie is a Grenache fanatic. So am I. This leaves us constantly rifling through the southern Rhone aisles looking for everyday drinkers at law student friendly prices. This is one. Mostly grenache with a bit of older vine carignan, this shows intense spicy dark cherry fruit on the nose, along with some hints of gravel and garrigue (I know every taster has a different definition of garrigue so here's mine; a melange of rosemary, herbs de provence, smoke and fresh loam). On the palate it has good intensity and balance of acidity. I treated this as if it were a Chateauneuf and decanted about 30 minutes prior to serving. Spicy classic Cotes-du-Rhone and well worth its $13 retail price.
89 points.


3) Celler Capcanes, Cabrida, Montsant 2001
Ok so here we go again with the Grenache. This stuff is much more serious in it's intent. Think about the difference between a very nice and pleasant japanese sedan and say a six figure German or Italian sports car. This stuff is about 5-6 times the price of the CDR I just mentioned, and it is very much worth the investment. Montsant, for those not familiar, is a crescent shaped patch of geography that borders Priorat and produces (by and large) the same types of wines. This vintage of "Cabrida" is inky black/purple saturated to the rim. Overtly fruity and exotic on the nose with loads of spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, basil and mint among others). Super rich palate presence with a mountain of raspberry, plum and cherry fruit. This continued to open up in the glass for more than 2 hours, getting better by the minute. The finish is super long and all that spice comes rushing back. Retails for around $60.
95 points.


4)Bodegas Juan Gil, Jumilla 2004
Looking for something a bit different a few nights ago, I stumbled upon this at the local wine shop. I had tasted a barrel sample of Juan Gil's previous vintage and I remembered the fat structure and texture of the Monastrell (Mourvedre en Espagnol) being truly impressive. My memory served me well. The pure purple/black color is the first clue to this wine's dark brooding character. A nose of black pepper and super extracted black fruit gradually evolves in the glass to aromas of coffee liquor and kirsch. A super rich and textural wine on the palate (super heavy velvet comes to mind), the intense fruit dominates, along with some spicy notes form the oak and a bit of dark caramel on the finish. Explosive and very heavily fruited, this is serious wine, do not be fooled by its very friendly $14 price tag,
91 points.


5) Finca Luzon, Luzon 2005
Inspired by my find with the Juan Gil, I thought I'd have a go at another of Jorge Ordonez' super value wines from Jumilla. The Luzon is a blend of primarily Monastrell, with about 30 percent Syrah added. A few minutes after opening, this little charmer showed a nose of ripe plum and sour cherry, a touch of spicy bacon. On the palate there is ripe dark red fruit with good tannic structure and a spicy finish. Like a nice Cotes-du-Rhone with a much richer texture. Most definitely worth the $6, this will very likely be a staple around my casa.
87 points

Please note: All prices are those which I paid, and may not reflect pricing or availability in your market.
All scores given are my ratings based on the now familiar 100 point scale.



Cheers,
TRC
"Wine can of their wits, the wise beguile. Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile."
Homer, The Odyssey