From a dinner with my tasting group with Northern Rhone syrah as the theme. We didn’t have any Pergaud, but there were several of Eric’s wines. As it happens, they are pretty good. We ate a bunch of awesome food, including a whole ham from Green Button farm, the skin was served as crackling. Beef, scallops, lamb chops, root vegetables, greens. Awesome sauce.
2011 Combier Crozes
Nice little quaffing syrah. Organic grower who also grows plums and apricots.
2004 Texier Brézème
Under neo-cork, so I’m not sure that this is representative of what this wine could have been in 2004. A little tired.
2005 Texier St. Joseph
Lovely, gentle savory notes. Some dried fruits, but more about game and leather with some herbal and floral notes. In everyone’s top 3.
1997 Gerin Côte-Rôtie Grand Places
Terrible. Not drinkable.
2001 Rostaing Côte-Rôtie
Fine. Correct. Wasn’t much going on with the nose, but the palate was gentle, mature Côte-Rôtie.
2001 Guigal Côte-Rôtie Chateau D’Ampuis
Gross. I don’t think it will ever shake the oak and the heavy handed winemaking.
1998 Ogier Côte-Rôtie
Disappointing. When I bought this, I was hoping for a repeat of 1988 or 1991. That’s not what happened. It has never lost its wild, sauvage side. A couple of folks really liked it for that very reason. I want my Côte-Rôtie to be pretty, this wasn’t.
2004 Texier Côte-Rôtie
OK, but I’ve had better bottles. This had a seam down the cork, so I think that the bottle is not representative.
2006 Texier Côte-Rôtie
Freaking amazing wine. Beautiful and seamless. Caresses the palate and is layered with note after note. Floral, savory, red and blue pit-fruited with grace and length. 2006 was really a great year for Eric, the Pergaud from that year is as good, if not better, than the Côte-Rôtie. This was everyone’s wine of the night because it was the truly great wine at the table.
2005 Edmunds St. John Syrah Bassetti
Wow, what a ringer. This is the best bottle I’ve had of this. It fit well with these wines of the Northern Rhône while maintaining its Californian-ness. There is a dark berry quality to the fruit that differentiates it from the others, but it has tons of savory notes and a brisk, cool mineral underpinning. Steve once said to me that he thought this may be the best syrah he has made. I don’t know if he still thinks that, but this bottle is persuasive.
For myself, the 2006 Texier Côte-Rôtie was in a class by itself and the 2005 Texier St. Joseph and 2005 ESJ Bassetti were in the top tier. There was a significant drop-off after that.
2011 Combier Crozes
Nice little quaffing syrah. Organic grower who also grows plums and apricots.
2004 Texier Brézème
Under neo-cork, so I’m not sure that this is representative of what this wine could have been in 2004. A little tired.
2005 Texier St. Joseph
Lovely, gentle savory notes. Some dried fruits, but more about game and leather with some herbal and floral notes. In everyone’s top 3.
1997 Gerin Côte-Rôtie Grand Places
Terrible. Not drinkable.
2001 Rostaing Côte-Rôtie
Fine. Correct. Wasn’t much going on with the nose, but the palate was gentle, mature Côte-Rôtie.
2001 Guigal Côte-Rôtie Chateau D’Ampuis
Gross. I don’t think it will ever shake the oak and the heavy handed winemaking.
1998 Ogier Côte-Rôtie
Disappointing. When I bought this, I was hoping for a repeat of 1988 or 1991. That’s not what happened. It has never lost its wild, sauvage side. A couple of folks really liked it for that very reason. I want my Côte-Rôtie to be pretty, this wasn’t.
2004 Texier Côte-Rôtie
OK, but I’ve had better bottles. This had a seam down the cork, so I think that the bottle is not representative.
2006 Texier Côte-Rôtie
Freaking amazing wine. Beautiful and seamless. Caresses the palate and is layered with note after note. Floral, savory, red and blue pit-fruited with grace and length. 2006 was really a great year for Eric, the Pergaud from that year is as good, if not better, than the Côte-Rôtie. This was everyone’s wine of the night because it was the truly great wine at the table.
2005 Edmunds St. John Syrah Bassetti
Wow, what a ringer. This is the best bottle I’ve had of this. It fit well with these wines of the Northern Rhône while maintaining its Californian-ness. There is a dark berry quality to the fruit that differentiates it from the others, but it has tons of savory notes and a brisk, cool mineral underpinning. Steve once said to me that he thought this may be the best syrah he has made. I don’t know if he still thinks that, but this bottle is persuasive.
For myself, the 2006 Texier Côte-Rôtie was in a class by itself and the 2005 Texier St. Joseph and 2005 ESJ Bassetti were in the top tier. There was a significant drop-off after that.
