Lord I love a good Syrah

B

BJ

BJ
Alone tonight, hints of winter in the air. A slow quiet day, Mme L bundled onto a plane early this morning. A scatter of a day in the midst of insane busy-ness.

What a feast I have before me. Roasted eggplant from the Phinney farmers market - I wish I could kiss whoever grew it. I can't remember. It is delicious. Uli's brats.

And...a sublime syrah. Unwinding with several glasses of Breton petillant, I scrounged through the cellar.

I've had this 96 Jaboulet Crozes cuvee famille that I've been eyeing for quite a while. I bought it from a local shop that occasionally sets out interesting older bottles and I bought it on a whim several years ago. I thought, either this is a sad oaky deal (the bottle is numbered, after all - #00734), or it's a beautiful testimony to Gerard's work in the glory days of Thalabert. Well, it's the latter. Maybe a single demi-muid? Would not surprise me.

Long, long, proud cork. Completely pure. Famille, not Parker. Old school. Beautiful Hermitagian northern Crozes slopes. The best of Thalabert or something similar. Structure of 96 but no dryness. A hint of animal but elegance too. Easily could be a bottle of old style Chapelle, or Chave. Exhibit A for the Rule of 15, but could roll on for years (hence the hopeful cork).

Wasn't expecting this tonight. A nice surprise.

Thank you for humoring me.
 
"In recent times, two other red Crozes have been produced as one-offs. The special cuvee Famille 2000 Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage and the Vieille Vignes 1996 were both taken from the domaine's oldest 1930s and 1940s Syrah, late harvested in October for extreme ripeness, and given an extended vinification."

-- JLL
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Thanks for the transport. Did you hit the town afterwards?
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No, watched Battlestar Gallactica and then went to sleep. My idea of fun these days.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
"In recent times, two other red Crozes have been produced as one-offs. The special cuvee Famille 2000 Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage and the Vieille Vignes 1996 were both taken from the domaine's oldest 1930s and 1940s Syrah, late harvested in October for extreme ripeness, and given an extended vinification."

-- JLL
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Thanks...I would not say this was extremely ripe. Interesting.
 
Nice.

I like Uli's version of Merguez.

We went with the rule of 4 last night, and opened a bottle of the 2007 Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly with chicken mole. It is still very primary, but it is a life affirming, pure, finely etched bottle of Cote de Brouilly.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
Nice.

I like Uli's version of Merguez.

We went with the rule of 4 last night, and opened a bottle of the 2007 Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly with chicken mole. It is still very primary, but it is a life affirming, pure, finely etched bottle of Cote de Brouilly.
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Uli's is special. And I just figured out Ken's Market up the hill carries it.

The Rule of Fifteen applies only to northern Rhones. The Rule of Ten applies to Cru Beaujolais. But it is a rule I break often. I'm a lot more hard core about the Rule of Fifteen.
 
originally posted by Marc D:
Nice.

I like Uli's version of Merguez.

We went with the rule of 4 last night, and opened a bottle of the 2007 Pavillon de Chavannes Côte de Brouilly with chicken mole. It is still very primary, but it is a life affirming, pure, finely etched bottle of Cote de Brouilly.
Click to expand...
Funny. Opened the 06 and 10 of that this week. 06 was a bit blowsy with ripe plummy fruit and not quite enough acidic lift but the '10 is just lovely.

Small sample size so far, but I like what I've seen of the 2010's. A 2010 Coquelet Chiroubles knocked my socks off last week. so delicious.
 
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