A Chateauneuf I liked

J

Jay Miller

Jay Miller
I was surprised, but I quite liked the 2001 Henri Bonneau Chteauneuf-du-Pape last night. Lest anyone think I'm going soft I pretty much hated the 2006 Chapoutier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac and 2005 Domaine du Pga Chteauneuf-du-Pape Cuve Rserve.

The 1998 La Mission Haut Brion was stunningly good.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
A Chateauneuf I likedI was surprised, but I quite liked the 2001 Henri Bonneau Chteauneuf-du-Pape last night. Lest anyone think I'm going soft I pretty much hated the 2006 Chapoutier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac and 2005 Domaine du Pga Chteauneuf-du-Pape Cuve Rserve.

The 1998 La Mission Haut Brion was stunningly good.
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From reading Salil's notes of the event, it sounds as if the Bonneau was so atypical that no one could quite figure out what it was. And I posit that the Pegau was shut down, as it is wont to do from ages 3-8 in my experience. Not that you would have liked it anyway...

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Lest anyone think I'm going soft I pretty much hated the 2006 Chapoutier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac
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It says something (and nothing good) about that wine that a number of people thought it was a ripe Californian Pinot when tasting it blind.

But the Bonneau was lovely. As was the La Miss, 82 Guigal La Landonne and many other wines last night.
 
Interesting about the Bonneau, because I visited his cellar a few years ago and tasted a lot of wines both from barrel and from bottle (up to about 10 years old) and can't imagine that there was anything that most people on this board would like. About 1/2 way through the visit, I surreptitiously asked my importer friend who had taken me there if I was missing something and he said, "No, but it's amazing what these wines fetch in London."
 
originally posted by Claude Kolm:
Interesting about the Bonneau, because I visited his cellar a few years ago and tasted a lot of wines both from barrel and from bottle (up to about 10 years old) and can't imagine that there was anything that most people on this board would like. About 1/2 way through the visit, I surreptitiously asked my importer friend who had taken me there if I was missing something and he said, "No, but it's amazing what these wines fetch in London."
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I had the impression from Andrew Jefford's book that they aren't normally exported to England.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
A Chateauneuf I likedI was surprised, but I quite liked the 2001 Henri Bonneau Chteauneuf-du-Pape last night.
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Blame it on the 2001 vintage. Cool, traditionally styled vintage and one of my recent (and last?) favorites.
 
originally posted by Salil Benegal:

It says something (and nothing good) about that wine that a number of people thought it was a ripe Californian Pinot when tasting it blind.
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maybe they're cutting it with some sine qua non pn to jazz it up...
 
originally posted by Salil Benegal:
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Lest anyone think I'm going soft I pretty much hated the 2006 Chapoutier Chteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac
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It says something (and nothing good) about that wine that a number of people thought it was a ripe Californian Pinot when tasting it blind.

But the Bonneau was lovely. As was the La Miss, 82 Guigal La Landonne and many other wines last night.
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Alas there are more CdPs than one would guess that taste like CA overripe wines, though usually CA syrah to my taste. If you like Chapoutier, you'll love Mordoree.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Any love for Chapoutier's white Hermitage? Not to change the subject.
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The last version of Chante Alouette I've had of theirs is the 00, which I have liked. I also liked this wine in the 90s. I haven't had it since, nor have I had any of the very expensive brands. I remember Claude saying that Chapoutier has become less artificed in recent years (or perhaps misremembered?), but that hasn't been my limited experience with their reds.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
I remember Claude saying that Chapoutier has become less artificed in recent years (or perhaps misremembered?), but that hasn't been my limited experience with their reds.
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You're right, Jonathan, but I was speaking only of the estate Northern Rhnes -- I don't taste the wines from the myriad of other regions. Chapoutier has some great and very great sites in the Northern Rhne, but I can't recall anyone making similar claims for the Chteauneuf property (although it could be that I just haven't paid enough attention to C9).
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman
originally posted by Yixin:
What's up with the LMHB love?
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I think Jay has liked it a long time.
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Mr. Grossman is quite correct (not surprisingly as he's known me a long time).

So 2001 was a cool vintage in CdP? Potentially useful information. Not that I'm running out to buy any but if I'm ever held at gunpoint and forced to drink a recent vintage of CdP I'll know what to pick.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
A Chateauneuf I liked

The 1998 La Mission Haut Brion was stunningly good.
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One of the few high end Bordeaux I am hanging onto. This is a great wine and was a steal when it was out for $90-ish.
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
So 2001 was a cool vintage in CdP? Potentially useful information. Not that I'm running out to buy any but if I'm ever held at gunpoint and forced to drink a recent vintage of CdP I'll know what to pick.
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I think 'cool' is relative. And in this case very relative.

I'm no expert, but even within CdP standards I always thought 2001 was pretty ripe. Perhaps just not as ripe as 98, 00, or 03.

But yes, that does mean we might like the 2001 (and 1999?) wines more than other vintages.

I'm sure Prof. Loesberg will be along to correct me any minute now.
 
originally posted by Ian Fitzsimmons:
Any love for Chapoutier's white Hermitage? Not to change the subject.
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I recall liking the 1994 de l'Ore on release, but I haven't tried it since; and that was a long time ago.
 
And here I am. 01 will be a longer lived year and isn't as ripe as 98 or 00. But I'd hardly classify it as cool. 99, 04 and 08 are about as restrained as CdP gets these days and that's where I would go (and do go)when I'm looking for spice and structure.

However, I remember Jay also being surprised that he liked the 03 Usseglio Aieul, a notorious fruit bomb. I like that wine too in its own style, and I don't know the Bonneau except by reputation, but I would do further experiments by slipping him some Clos St. Jean machiney wines and Isabel Ferrando wines. It may be that Jay only likes big pointy CdPs and just doesn't know it.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
... I remember Jay also being surprised that he liked the 03 Usseglio Aieul, a notorious fruit bomb. I like that wine too in its own style ...
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Me, too! I would never have thought, but I was wooed into it by Scott Manlin, a friend of Alice Feiring's, a couple of years back.
 
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