New Castle Imports - Authentic Estate Bottled French Wines

Tasting notes February 2003– Scott Gallagher

Domaine du Galet des Papes – Jean-Luc Mayard
Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf du Pape- “ Tradition and dedication to the tried and trued methods of Châteauneuf… patient and respectful of the Appellation.
Jean-Luc Mayard’s style of winemaking is exactly why I love the wines of this region”

No 2002s tasted, not ready yet

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Blanc 2001- 60% Grenache Blanc, 20% Terret and 20% Bourboulenc. Big fragrant nose of honey, wax and lemons. Stony and minerally with good acidity and balance.

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Rouge Tradition 2001-80% Grenache and 20% the rest of allowable grapes. Fine, elegantly perfumed with a bit of a woodsy component Very approachable, early charmer. Possibly the best young Galet I’ve ever tasted.

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2001-60% Grenache Noir, 30% Mouvèdre and 10% mixed. Super dark color almost black. Much more pepper and gamier than Tradition Cuvée. Has the “feel” of an Amarone – dried fruits and molasses. Has more weight, tannins and structure. Should be killer in a few years.

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Rouge Tradition 2000- pretty color, sweet dark fruits and wild berries, herbal tea and forest floor. Very good length.

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Rouge Vieilles Vignes 2000- Reminiscent of the unbelievable ’90 V.V. Young and on the wild side. Road tar, licorice and anise. Fat without being clumsy.

Domaine du Galet des Papes Châteauneuf Rouge 1998- slightly animal and savage with a concentrated nose of molasses and briars. Evolving beautifully, many years left in it.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape
“ Frédéric and Daniel Coulon have taken over the family domaine from their father Paul, and it is plainly evident they run a tight ship. Their tireless pursuit of perfection starts in the vineyards and carries into every facet of winemaking at Beaurenard.”

No 2002s (reds) tasted, going through malo

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2002- 60% Grenache, 30% Cinsault and 10% Syrah. Pretty “electric pink “color. Strong aromas of watermelon and cherry. Fresh, bright and quaffable.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc 2002 (not yet bottled) Dried apricots, white peaches and anise nose. Slight SO2 to guard against oxidation.

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône 2001 -harvested at 36 hl/ha AOC yield is 52.
70% Grenache, balance- usual suspects. Bright cherry-red color with hints of black olive and white pepper on the nose. Plenty of grip and substance – best regular Beaurenard CDR since the ’90. Very good.

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône 2000- part of Rasteau production blended in.
More animal than ’01, lots of spice and red fruits.

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau 2001- 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. From a slope dominated by underlying clay and large stones. Max yield for Rasteau is 42 hl/ha Beaurenard averages mid thirties. Dark purplish-black color. Blackberry and cedar, almost Pomerol-like nose. Vibrant and full-bodied, very complex. For me the best Rasteau I’ve ever sampled.

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau 2000- More compact and closed than above, still very dark color and black fruit hiding behind tannins for now.

Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau Les Argiles Bleues 2000- New wine from Beaurenard. In some areas of Rasteau, the subsoil (normally located 10 meters below the surface) of blueish clay comes to the surface, from these bits comes this selection. Vinified separately. Yield 30hl/ha. Dense black color. Huge nose of dark fruit and garrigue. This wine would give many a Châteauneuf a run for the money. Needs time to knit together.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape 2001- 70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mouvedre and 10% Cinsault. Crimson color. Tons of white pepper and a floral component. Elegant and fine almost “Burgundian” Châteauneuf with power underneath.
Plenty of cranberry and spice in the mouth, good length also. Daniel and Frédéric both think this wine resembles their ’90. Outstanding wine.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape 2000- Loads of ripe red fruit and pepper showing on the nose, though a little tight now. Creamy, and well balanced, nice finish.
A classic.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape 1999- still tight, but some secondary aromatics are kicking in, especially the mushroom and earthy components. Good mouhfeel, fairly viscous. Evolving nicely.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape 1998- “ A monster with style.” Underlying animal aromas, smoked meat and mushrooms. The fruit reminds me of Pomegranates. This is a very good bottle of wine.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape Boisrenard 2001- to be bottled in May of this year. Inky blackish-purple color. Violets and chocolate covered cherries, malt and Twizzlers. Huge mouthfeel, coats and stays with you for a full minute. Amazing potential. Could this turn out to be like the ’90?

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape Boisrenard 2000- Red fruits and jammy, plenty of power and tannins, astrigent- needs time.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape Boisrenard 1999- Dark purple in color. Licorice and red cherry on the nose, still evolving as the wood integrates. Huge mouthfeel, quite young with plenty of life in it.

Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc Boisrenard 2001- 50% Clairette, 25% Bourboulenc and 25% Roussanne. Vanilla bean, honey, white flowers and orange. Tropical fruits dominate the taste. A great white Châteauneuf, sadly not much is made.

Domaine Brusset Cairanne and Gigondas-
“ Daniel and Laurent Brusset have an amazing sense of what needs to be done to make consistently great wines. They actually are reshaping the landscape in certain areas. Their terraced vines at Les Hauts de Montmirail, amount to a monopole of one the best positioned and well exposed facings in all of Gigondas”

Côtes du Ventoux 2002- 60% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 15% Mouvedre and 10% Clairette. Brilliant reddish-purple color. Cranberry and spice leap out of glass. Fresh and lively.

Laurent Brusset Côtes du Rhône 2002- 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Carignan and 10% Mouvedre. Deeper color and more serious than Ventoux. Candied red fruits and mint. Should become more animal with age.

Brusset Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne 2002 -60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 15% Mouvedre and 5% Cinsault. Purple velvet color. A bit of lead pencil on the nose framed by red fruits and damp earth. Smoky and well balanced. Very good.

Brusset Gigondas Le Grand Montmirail 2002-not yet bottled – A little lighter than usual, but not finished wine awkward to evaluate at this stage. Reserve judgment until tasted from bottle.

Brusset Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail 2002- same as above- not bottled retaste later.

Brusset Gigondas Les Hauts de Montmirail 2001-55% Grenache, 25% Mouvedre and 20% Syrah. Dark black-purple color. Huge nose of Violets, pepper, Blueberry and wild herbs. Thick and mouth filling with power and supportive tannins.

Brusset Côtes du Rhône Villages Vendage Chabrille 2001-65% Grenache and 35% Syrah. From 80-year-old vines on a South-facing slope named Chabrille. Intense reddish-purple color. Monster nose of red berries and truffles. Explosion of flavors and a very long finish. Amazing for a CDR.

Brusset Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvée Hommage a André 2000- 55% Grenache, 30% Mouvedre and 15% Syrah. 80+ Year old vines and harvested at 20 hl/ha ! Black and menacing. This wine has huge potential, but needs time to resolve.

Brusset Les Hauts de Montmirail 1991- deep purplish color with a slight orange at the rim. Pruny, woodsy nose. Flavors of crabapple and wild cherry. Definitely mature.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas-
” Honest Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône from a farmer. Nothing fancy going on at this estate, just great wine from old vines and hard work . Guy Boutière makes wine that sings of it’s origin in the Southern Rhône”

Domaine du Pesquier Vins de Pays de Vaucluse 2002-50% Syrah and 50% Merlot. Light red color. Apple and cherry nose. Tart, dilute, simple.

Domaine du Pesquier Vins de Pays de Vaucluse 2001- Peppery, pleasant soft and quaffable.

Domaine du Pesquier Côte du Rhône 2001-not bottled yet. 65% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 10% Syrah and 15 % mixed Mouvedre and Carignan. Purple-red color. Prominent pepper and cranberry nose. Good mouthfeel. Will be bottles Summer 2003.

Domaine du Pesquier Côtes du Rhône 2000- Purple color. Pepper and spice nose. Good forward red fruits and slight gamey component. Good.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas 2002- Awkward, disjointed, hard to taste. Red licorice, cherry and dusty earth. Retaste later.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas 2001-70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mouvedre. Not yet bottled, will bottle March ’03. Deep, reddish-purple hue. Wild thyme and white pepper upfront, behind blueberry, radish and dark fruits. Sweet black fruits and molasses in the mouth. Big, full and rich.

Domaine du Pesquier Gigondas 2000- usual color. Nose is slightly closed. A little black olive and chocolate cherry comes through. Mouth is supple and full. Needs time to reach potential, but evolving nicely. Very good.

Domaine Alain Voge Cornas and Saint Péray
“ Every time I spend a day with Alain, I feel like I‘m with my grandfather. He is patient, plodding and pays attention to every detail imaginable. He methodically takes each step he must to fashion some of the best Syrah on the planet.”

Alain Voge St. Peray Cuvée Boisée 2000- Mostly Marsanne..50% New oak, 50% 2nd wine. Lemon juice, pears, trail mix and sawdust. Fairly fat and pleasant. Good shellfish chaser.

Alain Voge St. Peray Cuvée Boisée 2001- higher toned and more aggressive than ’00. Lively pear juice, grapefruit and applewood. Good.

Alain Voge St. Peray Fleur de Crussol 2000- Light straw color. Butterscotch, caramel, honey and white flowers. Creamy and elegant. Nice.

Alain Voge Côtes du Rhône 2001-100% Syrah. Reddish-black color. Cranberry, Violets and black pepper jump from the glass. Sexy, lush and velvety wine. Lots of minerality.
Very good.

Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Vignes 2001- to be bottled in June. Color of Ruby Port. Crushed pepper, Violets, and wet dog. Undercurrent of beef bouillon and chocolate covered cherries. Real minerality and lush mouthfeel. Very nice.

Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Fountaines 2001- Inky-black color. Like “old vines” on steroids! Almost unbelievable magnitude- has it all, power, Terroir, great body and style.
Very good wine= collectable.

Alain Voge Cornas Vieilles Vignes 2002- 40hl/ha, severe triage, “good for the vintage, almost like the ’97 ”-Alain. Lighter style, some good Violet and dark red fruit and granitic

Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin Côte Rôtie and Condrieu-
“ Gerin is the French winegrower equivalent of Arnold Schwarznegger, he sees a challenge and conquers it. Each time I visit here I think there must be easier ways to make a living. His work starts in vineyards that would make a mountain goat nervous and finishes in his ultramodern winemaking facility, the end result-some of the finest Côte Rôties I have tasted.

Domaine Gerin Condrieu Coteau de la Loye 2001-Light straw color. Nose of banana oil, tropics, dried apricot and anise. Very fine and elegant style. Tea leaves and spice to the taste. 25% of blend is done in Inox (stainless) and 75% in barrel (25% of which is new). Would be potent with goat cheese, fish or chicken in crème sauce and mushrooms. Great wine. This defines Viognier, it is positively regal.
“ It only tastes like this when it comes from the terraced, stony cliffs overlooking the Northern Rhône! The stuff planted in the flats and lowlands is fake Viognier !!!” SDG

Domaine Gerin Condrieu Coteau de la Loye 2002- Light straw color. Flowers, tea and peaches. Good wine because of work in the vineyards, pulled leaves, dropped fruit, severe selection to get final product. January through June no rain. The rest of the year rain all the time but not the soaking kind.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôties 2002s all going through malo= hard to analyze at this stage

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Champin le Siegneur 2002-90% Syrah and 10% Viognier. 50% new oak, 25% 1 year and 25% 2 year barrels. Inky-purple color. Very floral and approachable style. Violets, cherry and smoke. Good tannins should be ok.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie La Landonne 2002- 100% new oak. Good color. Cranberry and game. Wild nuances of mushroom and earth. Good.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Les Grandes Places 2002- 100% new oak. Black slimy olives, chocolate cherries and mint. Always my favorite cuvée from Jean-Michel.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Champin Le Siegneur 2001- Ripe floral and appealing. Early charm, but patience will pay off, should be great after everything knits together in a few years.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie La Landonne 2001- Dark reddish-black color. Huge nose of berries and spice. Deep and a little hidden inside itself, needs time.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Les Grandes Places 2001- Black impenetrable color. Smoky, bacon fat, wet wool and spice. Syrah at it’s best! Very fine.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Champin Junior 500ml 1997-Great color. Wood, espresso, blackberry and vanilla bean nose. Tons of fruit in the mouth, creamy and rich.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie La Landonne 1997- Good color. Complex aromas of molasses, ferns and earth. Nice wine.

Domaine Gerin Côte Rôtie Les Grandes Places 1997- Black, dense color. Heady nose of black olives, forest floor and blackberry liqueur. Explodes in your mouth, vibrant black fruits framed by the oak. Very long finish. A real good bottle.