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 2001 Chateau de St. Cosme Gigondas, $16, 14% alc.: This dark garnet is definitely NOT your father's Gigondas. Don't get me wrong, we like it quite a bit, but there's nothing "traditional" about it. I poured Kim a glass without telling her what she was tasting, and she was surprised when I told her it wasn't a domestic wine, saying "must be Australian." And indeed, the rich plum and blackberry flavors show a big dose of thick, creamy
chocolate, with some spice and Provencal herbs coming out with air.
Two or three years worth of tannins aren't so noticeable that you can't enjoy this now, but patience will be rewarded. Just don't open one and expect to get a typical southern Rhône. Patrick Lesec Selections, Imported by Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL 2001 Domaine du Joncier Lirac, $17.99, 13.5% alc.: This dark garnet features a pretty black currant and black raspberry bouquet with accents of violets that follows through in the flavors with an earthy quality and, you guessed it, a note o' chocolate! The latter quality isn't as pronounced as in some of the other Rhônes we've tasted recently, and in that regard, it's less objectionable. It has a nice density to it, and as it opens, it loses some, but not all of that chocolate, which initially obscures much of the three to five years worth of tannins here. As it opens, one finds some underbrush lurking underneath it all, and this straddles the line between the traditional and the international styles. The bottom line here is, I like this wine, and would buy it again. I can't say the same for some of these others. Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA 2001 Domaine Mordoree Lirac Cuvee de la Reine des Bois, $24.99, 14% alc.: This dark garnet exudes a nice perfume of dark plum, blackberry and accents of underbrush and chocolate, with the chocolate playing a more prominent role in the flavors, along with some added earth and black cherries. Acidity is relatively low, but the fruit and chocolate can't hide the considerable tannins, which keep the finish from being all that it can (and will) be. This might be a little too "international" (read chocolate) for some, but we like it just fine; it's quite enjoyable now, and will be even better in two or three years. A blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre from 40-year old vines, aged in oak, foudre, and tank. Imported by Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aine Côtes - du - Rhône Villages Beaumes - de - Venise, $13.99, 14% alc.: Typically dark garnet, with a decidedly earthy, tarry nose that obscures the deep, dark fruit underneath initially; surprisingly, the tar doesn't show up in the flavors, being replaced instead by a good chunk of chocolate, along with plenty of plum, blackberry and black cherry. A fair dose of tannins make themselves known mainly in the finish, which turns a bit twiggy. Despite good acidity, the wine has a fairly fat mouth feel, and after a few hours of air, most of the tar blows off the nose, leaving a more characteristic plum, prune and underbrush personality. The chocolate never does go away though, and while it will be interesting to see what two or three years does for this, I find it troubling that more and more Rhônes are showing this chocolate thing at the expense of the more traditional characteristics. Imported by Frederick Wildman and Sons, Ltd., New York, NY 2000 Patrick Lesec Vacqueyras "Chant du Goût," $21.99, 14% alc.: Ruby garnet, with a somewhat reticent earthy red plum nose, this brightens considerably on the palate, showing red plum, raspberry, cherry flavors accented with earthy undertones and hints of chocolate. Medium full bodied, with soft tannins and good acidity; with air, some underbrush emerges on both the nose and the reasonably long finish. Not necessarily "international" in style, and not quite cherry stick bright as it opens, this may not be your typical Vacqueyras, but it certainly is enjoyable. 
2001 Patrick Lesec Côtes du Rhône Beaumes, $14.99, 70% Grenache from 50 year old vines in Cassanet in Chateauneuf du Pape and 30% Syrah, from 15 year old vines in Beaumes de Venise, 13.5% alc.: This ruby dark garnet Côtes du Rhône throws a big, earthy bouquet full of black fruit, sticks and stems, with a subtle floral perfume that plays hide and seek with the olfactory senses. These echo and expand in the flavors, practically exploding with deep, dense fruit that's more than powerful enough to stand up to the significant tannins, but this is no "international" fruit bomb. The wine is all about dark plum, blackberry, a nice touch of
chocolate and accents of leather and garrigue in the background. With extended air, notes of cherry and cranberry come out as well. A Vacqueyras / Gigondas quality level wine, this has at least a few years of improvement ahead of it, and in fact I like it better than the Vacqueyras noted above. Excellent wine at a very good price. Patrick Lesec Selections, Imported by Stacole Fine Wines, Boca Raton, FL We last tasted these wines in the winter and spring of '02, and we liked them then, so when the local distributor sold off the remaining stock, we didn't hesitate to pick some up and see how they were evolving. 2000 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhônes Vaison-la-Romaine, $10.80, 14% alc.: No rust as of yet, still a deep, dark garnet; stemmy black fruit and licorice on the fairly stingy nose fans out on the palate to include dusty black currant, black plum, brambly briar and a little cocoa powder with air. This is fairly tight at first, with good density and concentration, and needs at least half an hour to start opening up and showing what it has. It's probably still at least a few years from optimum drinking, but that doesn't mean that you can't open and enjoy one now, with or with out food, because like so many of these, it just gets better and better with extended air. My last note reads "smooth, rich and delicious," and I guess that about sums this one up very nicely. Great QPR. 2000 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhônes Villages St. Gervais Vielles Vignes des Cadinières, $14.40, 14.5% alc.: A slightly cloudy deep, dark garnet, this shows a dusty nose of black fruit, underbrush, cocoa powder and violets. The flavors are all about blackberries and black plums, with underbrush in support, and although there are still some tannins to resolve here, it's not as tight as the Vaison. It turns a bit earthy and stemmy on the finish, and while it's nice now, it'll be even better in a year or two. A gamey note emerges with air, and the more I taste it, the more I like it. 1999 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhônes Villages Brézème Mise Tardive, $12.60, 12.5% alc.: It's hard to mistake this inky purple garnet as being anything other than syrah, with its big, slightly weedy black and purple fruits on the nose, with shades of leather and underbrush in the background. This is borne out even more so in the very dry, somewhat astringent, tarry black plum and black currant flavors. As it opens, it loses an initial whiff of the barnyard on the nose, gaining some garrigue, riper fruit and some sweet spice, but the astringency never quite diminishes, nor does the green, weedy streak. Still a little tannic, this still needs a few years or so to flesh out and come around. Tasted three times with consistent impressions. 
2000 Eric Texier Côtes du Rhônes Villages Séguret Vielles Vignes, $16.20, 14.5% alc.: Ever so slightly cloudy, this dark garnet is somewhat stingy on the nose, with deep, dark black fruit that follows through and expands on the palate, with black currant, blackberry and black plum, along with a little underbrush that comes out with air. No dust or cocoa powder here to speak of, just rich, intense, concentrated fruit. This is still the best of the bunch here, and it's still on the way up, being at least a few years away from hitting full stride, so patience is advised.Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY.
1999 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras, $19.99, 13.8% alc.: I opened this inky garnet thanks to a positive tasting note from a friend, but while I still think that there's very high quality here, this wine hasn't evolved much from the
last time we tasted
it, and is still some years from optimum drinkability. It shows earth and tar over deep, dark black fruit on the nose, along with an added note of peanut butter on the palate. As it opens, it loses that peanut butter thing, with more fruit coming to the fore, but it's still tight and tannic. Based on this taste, I wouldn't open another for a good five years or so, but if you are of a different mind and just have to have some now, give it at least a couple of hours in a decanter first. 1999 Domaine de l'Oratoire St. Martin Cairainne Cotes du Rhône Villages Réserve des Seigneurs, $12.99, 13.5% alc.: This deep dark garnet undergoes an evolution as it opens over an hour or so, showing a bit of the barnyard and a whiff of sulfur initially on the nose; these blow off to reveal plum, blackberry and black cherry shaded with a little earth and more and more garrigue with air. The rich, ripe flavors echo loudly, with mostly resolved tannins and fairly low acidity, causing Kim to observe, "This is so soft and smooth." Give it an hour in a decanter to show its best, and you'll have yourself one very fine $13 Cairainne.
Imported by Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA
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Rhônes 2003-04 Index
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