winewaves

2004 Château La Nerthe Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Last week I was skimming a wine book and came to the chapter on Chateauneuf-du-Pape, prior to this I'd thought, for some reason, that the percentages in a CNdP blend were fixed. In fact, they are not and and vary quite a bit among the different wineries. Typically the blend is mostly Grenache, with a minority of  Syrah, Mourvedre or Cinsault, but may also contain Counoise, Muscardin, Picpoul, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Terret Noir, Picardan or Vaccarese. I'd be lying if I said that I knew what any of those were beyond the first 4.

But what caught my eye was the Grenache. Coming off last week's write up of 2006 Bitch Grenache I was interested in trying an old world Grenache and shot down to my local wine merchant with valid ID and a crisp $50 in my pocket. I asked around among the staff to see if I could locate the CNdP with the highest percentage of Grenache, but was out of luck - nobody really knew. I took a recco from the staff and picked up this bottle - the 2004 Chateau La Nerthe at $49.99.

I got it home and figured I'd give it a taste and see if I could guess the percentages before I looked it up. Color wise - in the glass it was a deep purple. It has a fairly typical 14% alchohol which gave it some heat in the nose. The first taste didn't give me the Grenache flavor I was looking for and my first guess is that this was on the low end, blend wise.

A little research turned up the following percentages: 56% Grenache, 24% syrah, 12% Mourvedre. I was really looking for something a little lighter up around 80-85% Grenache.

While I was a little disappointed at not finding exactly what I was looking for, I wasn't disappointed with the bottle. It's a nicely complex wine - earthy, great on the palate and very few tannins.

Price: $49.99 (Out West). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Clos Chanteduc Cotes du Rhone Red 2003

Clos Chanteduc Cotes du Rhone Rouge is a Kermit Lynch selection which recently arrived in Nashville, hailing from the excellent and very hot 2003 vintage. Clos Chanteduc is a 7 acre property of Domaine Saint Luc, located in the village of Vaison la Romaine, which is about 12 miles northeast of Gigondas.  The vineyard sits on a bench and the soil is made of rock, fine silt and clay.

The vines consist of Grenache, Syrah and a small amount of Mourvedre. 91.5 points. Color: Purple tinted candy apple red, deep translucent. Aroma: Complex aromatic raspberry, blackcurrent, and black olive, supported by hints of pepper/spice and nutmeg/spice. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, well-structured with gripping gravelly tannins. Red and black fruit flavors combine with savory black olive and roasted vegetable flavors, leading into a warm lush finish. Closure: Real cork.  Retail: $17. Value: Excellent.

Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2003

Perrin Reserve Cotes du Rhone Red is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre (Monastrell in Spain), and 10% Cinsault.

The Perrin brothers are famous for Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape, and also produce the popular, inexpensive La Vielle Ferme Red. This wine is positioned between the two, in price, content, and ageworthiness. 88 points. Color: Deep cranberry red. Aromas: Black cherry, blackberry, meaty, vanilla and gravelly notes. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with very dry, tart, rustic tannic structure, balanced with some mid-palate sweetness. Cherry, citrusy tart, and peppery flavors are a bit lean in the rather tannic, earthy finish. Closure: Real cork.

Retail: $11. Value: Very nice. Food pairing: Beef stew or soup.

Domaine De La Solitude Cotes Du Rhone Red 2003

Domaine De La Solitude Cotes du Rhone Red is another of the 2003 Southern Rhones which have arrived recently, this one imported by Langdon-Shiverick.  Little is published about this wine other than it being "a high proportion of Syrah".   The vineyard averages 25 year-old vines, 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache, 15% Cinsault and 5% Mourvedre (Monastrell in Spain). 88 points. Color: Dense ruby red. There are aromas of sour cherry, plums, spice, vanilla, gravel/mineral, smoke and pepper. Medium body with gripping tannins, eventually releases fruit flavors from the tart, chalky palate. Very dry. Closure: Genuine cork. (A screw cap would be a plus.) Price: $13 (Nashville).

Chateau Mont Redon Cotes du Rhone Red 2003

"By the judicious blending of the thirteen grape varieties that are grown at Château Mont-Redon we endeavour to produce wines that combine complexity with ripe fruit and soft tannins." -Ch. Mont Redon. 86 points. Bright ruby red, transparent. Tart cherry, spice and buttery aromas are simple yet quite pleasant.  Here's an easy-drinking light-styled red Cotes du Rhone with cherry flavors in abundance. The mouthfeel and tannins are on the light side for a 2003 Cotes du Rhone, also light on the gravel/mineral, but the flavors are fruity and the finish is smooth and warming. Here is a 2003 which is very ready, and not overly gripping now. Closure: Genuine cork. (A screw cap would be a plus.) Price: $13 (Nashville).

M. Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone Red 2003

Michel Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes Du Rhone Red is a blend Grenache and Syrah, from 15-40 year-old vines.  The vinification was in concrete vats, followed by 8-10 months aging before bottling. Paterno Wines imports. 90 points.  The color is deep ruby red. The aromas include ripe fruit (pomegranate, blackberry), cured bacon, pepper, spice and gravel. The mouthfeel is firm, with medium body and plenty of acidity. There is a ripe sweet sensation on the front of the tongue, with gripping tannins and minerality all around. The finish is very dry.  The wine remained focused the next day after being opened. The closure is a genuine cork. (A screw cap would be a plus.) The $13 price (Nashville) is a great buy on an excellent Rhone red wine from a better vintage.

E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Red 2003

Guigal Cotes du Rhone Red is approximately 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and others, from average 35 year-old-vines.

The aging was 18 months in oak foudres (very large horizontal oak barrels). 89.5 points. The color is deep ruby red. Dark plummy and cherry aromas were slow to develop after opening the bottle, as earthy, gravely and meaty notes were prominent up front. However, eventually all aspects came into focus together, along with a spice note. The mouthfeel is rustic, somewhat acidic, with minerality and tannins gripping the fruit. The finish is very dry.  The next day after opening, the wine was nicely focused. The closure is a real cork. (A screw cap would be a plus.) The $13 Nashville price is a very good value, especially if you are willing to give it time to open up. A very good match for appetizers or French country cooking.

Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone Red 2003

Garrigue Cuvee de Romaine is technically a declassified Vaquerayas, vinified especially for Eric Solomon (European Cellars), in the Parker-influenced unfined/unfiltered Rhone Red style. The composition is Grenache (largest portion), Syrah and Mourvedre. The soil is clay with pebbles. The aging was approximately 1.5 years, a minor share (up to 1/3) in new oak. 90.5 points.  The color is a deep ruby red. The aromas are jammy perfumed black raspberry, dried cherries and gravel, plus a hint of sweet anise. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, somewhat acidic with moderate tannins, and sour cherry fruit. The finish is dry, with lingering fruit, mineral, and tannins. The wine remained focused when tasted again the next day.

The closure is a genuine cork. (A screw cap would be a plus.)

The $13 price (Nashville) is a very good buy on a superb Rhone red wine from a better vintage.