2000 Clos de la Roilette

J

Jonathan Loesberg

Jonathan Loesberg
I don't really do tasting notes, and I'm not going to start now. But some years ago, when doghead lived in DC, he turned me on to Clos de la Roilette and told me it was great after about 10 years. The 00 was on the market then and I'm glad I listened. A bottle last night was great, earthy and mature but still with vibrant fruit. It reminded me of a 96 Charvin CdR I tasted this past summer: no, it didn't taste like that wine in a straightforward way, but both of them had a combination of earthiness and fruit, maturity and a bracing aliveness. The monkey can say what he wants about when to drink these wines: the evidence of this one is that they hold awhile. Thanks, Robert.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
2000 Clos de la RoiletteI don't really do tasting notes, and I'm not going to start now. But some years ago, when doghead lived in DC, he turned me on to Clos de la Roilette and told me it was great after about 10 years. The 00 was on the market then and I'm glad I listened. A bottle last night was great, earthy and mature but still with vibrant fruit. It reminded me of a 96 Charvin CdR I tasted this past summer: no, it didn't taste like that wine in a straightforward way, but both of them had a combination of earthiness and fruit, maturity and a bracing aliveness. The monkey can say what he wants about when to drink these wines: the evidence of this one is that they hold awhile. Thanks, Robert.
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What does the monkey say ? I tried google, no luck.

These wines can be quite amazing with age, in fact the '99 tardive may have made the officially approved politburo list. But this is all very nice provided you like the flavours. I mean, they taste *nothing* like they do when they are young, it is by no means a linear transformation. It's an acquired taste, which I am still working on, but admire the stuff nevertheless.
 
The monkey undoubtedly likes them when they're young.

I have a pair of '02 Tardives in the queue, but they're not exactly roaring off the starting line. I worry they're too young, yet.
 
originally posted by Thor:
I have a pair of '02 Tardives in the queue, but they're not exactly roaring off the starting line. I worry they're too young, yet.
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Well then it's good we kept the bottle in reserve!
 
Although the monkey hasn't, to my knowledge, registered an opinion on the 00 horsey, he is of the opinion, as I remember, that the 02s are on the verge of dying and need to be drunk up, or something like that.

I don't quite agree that they taste nothing like they taste when they are young. I can see the family resemblance, as Wittgenstein would say if he had been a wine geek. But they do become something else.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Although the monkey hasn't, to my knowledge, registered an opinion on the 00 horsey, he is of the opinion, as I remember, that the 02s are on the verge of dying and need to be drunk up, or something like that.
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As I recall, the idea that 02's need to be drunk up applied to the regular, not the tardive. No rush on the latter. The former is good now and later.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
Although the monkey hasn't, to my knowledge, registered an opinion on the 00 horsey, he is of the opinion, as I remember, that the 02s are on the verge of dying and need to be drunk up, or something like that.
Click to expand...

As I recall, the idea that 02's need to be drunk up applied to the regular, not the tardive. No rush on the latter. The former is good now and later.
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I don't think there's any rush on the former. And the monkey doesn't like tardy horsey as much as straight horsey, so hasn't, to my memory, registered an opinion as to its life span.
 
The last 2002 regular Roilette I tried (well over a year ago) seemed closed like a brick. I hope it hasn't gone from inaccessible to over the hill.
 
2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/28/2009)
Ehhh, what the heck do I know. This stuff rules. No rush.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuve Tardive - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (1/1/2009)
Damnation! I called up a bottle of the regular from Chelsea, and they sent the Tardive; and I didn't catch it until after pulling the cork. D'oh! I had a bottle of this in the realm of recently, and it was completely closed. Mercifully, this has begun to open. The aromatics are beautiful: still primary but opening up to show what it has. The palate on the other hand still has aways to go. Maybe just a touch of brett in this one, but not much. I look forward to this one in three or four years, if I can manage to keep my hands off the few I have left.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (9/8/2008)
The primary fruit is mostly gone, with only a touch of sap left when we opened it that faded fast. It's still beautiful, but I've got to go with the Monkey and say that absolute prime-time has passed.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
These are my most recent2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/28/2009)
Ehhh, what the heck do I know. This stuff rules. No rush.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuve Tardive - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (1/1/2009)
Damnation! I called up a bottle of the regular from Chelsea, and they sent the Tardive; and I didn't catch it until after pulling the cork. D'oh! I had a bottle of this in the realm of recently, and it was completely closed. Mercifully, this has begun to open. The aromatics are beautiful: still primary but opening up to show what it has. The palate on the other hand still has aways to go. Maybe just a touch of brett in this one, but not much. I look forward to this one in three or four years, if I can manage to keep my hands off the few I have left.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (9/8/2008)
The primary fruit is mostly gone, with only a touch of sap left when we opened it that faded fast. It's still beautiful, but I've got to go with the Monkey and say that absolute prime-time has passed.
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So am I to take it that you have revised your view since the 08 tasting?
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
originally posted by Cliff:
These are my most recent2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (7/28/2009)
Ehhh, what the heck do I know. This stuff rules. No rush.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette Cuve Tardive - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (1/1/2009)
Damnation! I called up a bottle of the regular from Chelsea, and they sent the Tardive; and I didn't catch it until after pulling the cork. D'oh! I had a bottle of this in the realm of recently, and it was completely closed. Mercifully, this has begun to open. The aromatics are beautiful: still primary but opening up to show what it has. The palate on the other hand still has aways to go. Maybe just a touch of brett in this one, but not much. I look forward to this one in three or four years, if I can manage to keep my hands off the few I have left.

2002 Coudert Fleurie Clos de la Roilette - France, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Fleurie (9/8/2008)
The primary fruit is mostly gone, with only a touch of sap left when we opened it that faded fast. It's still beautiful, but I've got to go with the Monkey and say that absolute prime-time has passed.
Click to expand...

So am I to take it that you have revised your view since the 08 tasting?
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I have not tried the 08 yet. How is it drinking?
 
The '99 Tardive is one of the most memorable bottles I've had in the past couple of years. The one I had was spectacular.

Yes, I had thought the 02 regular was on the way down in 08 and then had second thoughts after trying it again last year. Maybe it's time to dig another one out of storage.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
The '99 Tardive is one of the most memorable bottles I've had in the past couple of years. The one I had was spectacular.
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Nice to hear - I'll pull one soon.
Best, Jim
 
...Yes, I had thought the 02 regular was on the way down in 08 and then had second thoughts after trying it again last year. Maybe it's time to dig another one out of storage.
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...An '02 Clos de Roilette (A.C.) last month was frisky, stony-hoofed and tossing it's icy raspberry mane all the way down my gullet. Lovely. Well, maybe it's not technically an A.C.
 
There is a note (at the end of the 2005 notes) posted on my blog if you want to check it out.

It is also interesting because the 2000 l'Ancien was corked and the 2005 was great then but is terrible now under fake cork. Puts that whole issue in sharp relief.

1999 is a completely different animal.
 
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