Age has its benefits; and we’re going back to the beasts…..

What’s that equation again? I think that it’s ‘density equals mass over volume?’ In the land of dense and highly extracted wines, the benefits of age are referring to ‘vine age.’ The beast refers to this week’s new find; a profound, old vine Shiraz from Australia; the 2005 Glaetzer Amon Ra. The Amon Ra 05 is a beast of a wine; a wine that you need to wear a helmet when drinking it. My first blog discussed a visit with Ben Glaetzer and his Heartland wines. Ben’s Heartland wines are birthed from fantastic, cooler climate sites on the Adelaide coast. Vineyards in the Barossa Valley are a different animal than those on the Limestone Coast. Fruit for the Amon Ra comes from the aptly named and famous ‘Ebenezer’ vineyard in the north west of the Barossa Valley. Amon-ra Shiraz is sourced from 80-110 year old, non-grafted bush vines which are exceptionally low yielding. The oldest vines bears only 1/2 to 1 ton per acre whereas younger vines there will produce 2 1/2 to 3 tons per acre. The Ebenezer old vines are not irrigated. The very old vines require minimal attention. Their deep root structure means they are self-sufficient and can adapt to climatic extremes. Old vines tend to produce less but more concentrated grapes. Higher skin to pulp ratio equals more intensity in the wine. Get ready for some intensity.

Let’s revisit winemaker Ben Glaetzer. Not only was he Robert Parker’s ‘Australian Winemaker of the Year,’ with praise such as ‘he has shown an exquisite talent for accessing fabulous vineyards and turning out world-class wines, he has also been Quantas Airlines ‘Young Winemaker of the Year.’ When we originally met with Ben and his Heartland importer, we had a lunch to run through his full range of wines. It didn’t surprise us when we received a friendly Aussie greeting and the first words out of Ben’s mouth were, ‘g’day mate, care for a beer?’ Ben’s winemaking skills extend out past just the Heartland wines as he also fashions the Mitolo, Glaetzer and Amon Ra wines.

Let me hit you with some knowledge: As the King of all Gods, Amon-Ra is considered the most powerful figure in Egyptian mythology. The temple of Amon-Ra is recorded as the birthplace of commercial winemaking, having the first ever large scale vineyard grown specifically to make wine for the citizens of the temple.

Ben’s description of the 2005 Amon Ra Shiraz; ‘Dense purple color, the nose displays notes of blackberry, cherry, nutmeg and intense spice. The wine is voluptuous and yet seamlessly elegant. Supple tannins complement richness and viscosity. It is slightly more fruit driven than the 2004 Amon-Ra. Whereas the 2004 displayed purity and elegance at release, the 2005 will require a little more time to settle down in bottle. The tannin structure and sheer fruit weight of the wine will enable long-term cellaring from 12-18 years.’ For any of you who take grape seed extract supplements as a good source of anti-oxidants, I have to think that with the amount of dry extract in this wine that you would be able to skip the grape seed pills for a few months.

The 2005 vintage in Barossa provided conditions for making exceptional red wines. 2005 was one of the mildest growing seasons on record enabling winemakers like Ben to leave his Shiraz on the vine until early April, which allowed the fruit to be harvested with intense color and ripe tannin. The 2005s are more fruit forward than the 2004s and have slightly tighter, 'muscular' tannins with longer cellaring potential.

‘The profound 2005 Shiraz Amon Ra is fashioned from a dry grown, 100- to 110 year-old vineyard, and spends 14 months in a combination of 100% new French and American barrels as well as 300-liter hogsheads. A saturated purple color is followed by scents of creme de cassis, incense, licorice, black raspberries, graphite, and sweet wood. It unfolds beautifully on the palate to reveal terrific richness, full-bodied power, great definition, and lovely elegance. This exquisite Shiraz is still young, but it possesses a degree of accessibility. It should age for two decades. It is a superb example of cutting edge winemaking being utilized on ancient Shiraz vines in the Barossa.’ 98 points Wine Advocate

Amon Ra Shiraz 2005, Retail $74.99 Warehouse $64.99

When was the last time that you saw a Parker '98' being available let alone being available below retail?

We still have a few cases available of Ben’s Heartland 2005 Viognier/Pinot Gris from Langhorne Creek.

Ben’s notes: ‘The nose is bursting with stone fruits – peaches and apricots and some lime citrus characters. The delicious multi – layered palate begins with typical Viognier pear flavors intermingling with fresh melon flavors from the Pinot Gris.’We bought this wine immediately after first tasting it. Wow! Many straight Viogniers can appear to be pretty sappy. This wine has tremendous balance and lift, with the Pinot Gris adding complexity and texture. Honeysuckle, lemon and green melon flavors scream out. Has a minerality not often associated with new world Viogniers or Pinot Gris for that matter. Not a typical grape combination. Certainly worth a try. Has been a real crowd pleaser.

Heartland Viognier/Pinot Gris 2005, Retail $19.99 Warehouse $15.99

Wasn’t it David Bowie who sang ‘skip those grape seed pills and put your helmet on?’

Bold and brawny, no……… Bright and beautiful, yes!

Unlike the feature wines from last week whose chassis resemble Governor Arnold, we’ll take a look at several 2005 reds that are less powerful but are certain to impress. The key here is 2005. Even grapes from cool climates that typically show finesse and fine flavors are now sporting a bit of oomph!

Diochon Moulin A Vent 2005

We have a blind tasting group in Jacksonville that meets every Tuesday. This week’s theme was ‘the wines of 2005.’ Everyone brought their one or two bottles and the games began. Joel (WW) brown-bagged the Diochon 05 to the tasting. I think that I was the only one to guess basically what it was as even though there were only experienced wine industry people at the tasting. It just goes to show you that we are used to tasting candied and washed out versions of Gamay (Beaujolais). This is not the case with estate bottled wines from a top producer in a top vintage. With some confidence I was able to do the drill-down; old world, France, Burgundy, Beaujolais Cru. It could have easily been the Lapierre Morgon, but was unveiled as the Diochon. If only I was as lucky guessing most of the other wines. Anyway, low producing and old vine Gamay from a Beaujolais Cru is a bit of a standout style. If you have not tried the Diochon, the Chanrion Cote de Brouilly or any of our ‘Gang of Four’ Morgon producers from the 2005 vintage you are missing out on what is likely a once in a lifetime event. The 2005 vintage in Beaujolais is felt to be the best in over 60 years.

'The superb ripening and harvest gave perfect grapes, and Diochon made the most of it. Old vines, granite slopes, aged in foudre, bottled unfiltered, Diochon plus Moulin-à-Vent is quite a combo. The fruit is gorgeous, a real treat, and the wine shows remarkable finesse for its appellation.' Kermit Lynch’s notes.

Diochon Moulin A Vent VV 2005, Retail $19.99 Warehouse $16.99


Chanteleuserie Bourgeil from 2005.

Cabernet Franc from the Loire is often described as leafy when thrown into a blind tasting Some of you may recall my blog from 12-7-06 where I showed that the other marker for Loire Valley Cab Franc are beets. They’ll be neither one of these descriptors on the 2005 Chanelleuserie wines. Just ripe and spicy crushed berry fruit here. 2005 Chanteleuserie reds are simply pure, juicy and seamless on the palate. Wow! The Cuvee des Alouettes is produced from 15 year old vines grown in sandy soil. The Vieilles Vignes is produced from 65 year old vines in argilo-calcaire soils and certainly worth the extra buck.

Some of you may have been lucky enough to meet Thierry and Christine Boucard on our 2006 Tour of France tastings. Given the state of the dollar versus the Euro, I was amazed at what a value that these wines still offer to the consumer. You’ll be hard pressed to find another $12 or $13 wine to compete with these two for their quality to value ratio. I know that we inhabit a large planet. You’ll still have to do some serious looking. Just read what importer Kermit Lynch had to say about these wines.

‘The 2005s from Boucard really blew my mind. It was my first visit this summer tasting Loire reds, and we began with this very juicy cuvée. Old man Boucard was there, and I asked him if he could remember a similar vintage, because it was exciting to discover 2005. He mulled it over and said that 2003 came to mind, but that 2003 was an early-maturing vintage. “These 2005s,” he said, “are more like the great 1947s. They are true vins de garde. It is rare to have such balance and structure with such levels of ripeness.” Great deep color, almost black. Ripe, delicious blackberry fruit, yes, blackberry, from a Cabernet Franc! Round, harmonious, impressive all over, and—I guarantee it—so swallowable.’ Kermit Lynch

Chanteleuserie Bourgeil Cuvee VV 2005, Retail $ 15.99 Warehouse $12.99

Chanteleuserie Bourgeil ‘Les Alouettes’ 2005, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $11.99


Ninth Island Pinot Noir 2005, Tasmania.

Although Australia is not often associated with the Pinot Noir grape, the island of Tasmania has more similarities in its climate to New Zealand than it does Australia. Northern Tasmania is often shrouded by ocean mists which often blanket the vineyards in northern Tasmania.

The Ninth Island grapes are grown on a mixture of Vertosol soils (Black Cracking Clays), characteristic of their Tamar Valley vineyards, and Ferrosols (Volcanic soils), from their Pipers River vineyards. Both these soil types have an excellent water holding capacity, offering a steady supply of moisture and nourishment to the vines throughout the growing season.

The 2005 harvest commenced and lasted throughout the month of April from blocks located in the Tamar Valley and Pipers River region. Harvesting in April in the southern hemisphere is the equivalent of harvesting throughout October in the north. It shows that Tasmania is truly a cool climate region. The vines are predominantly grown on Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) trellises, which helps to expose the ripening bunches to the sun, which assists in achieving full ripeness and well-balanced flavors coupled with fine tannins.

Ninth Island’s aim with this wine is to bring all of the attributes of Pinot Noir to a peak at an early stage of the wine’s life. To achieve this, the grapes were immediately crushed and destemmed then fermented in a combination of Vinimatic and open vat ferments. The grape must is then inoculated and fermented at between 20-30˚C for a period of 5 to 8 days before being Pressed off into stainless steel vessels. The wine then completes full malolactic fermentation and is then bottled early under screw cap. This allows the wine to attain a style, which is intensely perfumed with soft velvety tannins and fresh vibrant fruit. As 2005 was a very even and ripe growing season, you will find this wine to have very juicy, crushed red fruit characters with a bright vibrancy on the palate. We opened one yesterday and were immediately impressed. This is the best Ninth Island that I have ever tasted.

You may have noticed that your favorite Pinot Noirs have been steadily creeping up in price. It is rare nowadays to find a Pinot Noir that is a good value. The Ninth Island Pinot Noir delivers.

Ninth Island Pinot Noir 2005, Retail $19.99 Warehouse $14.99

Taz can drive too!

Eat more bacon, drink more Shiraz…………..

If Dan Philips has his way, you will be heeding these words that I witnessed him write on a friend’s wine bar wall. Dan is the founder of The Grateful Palate which specializes in hedonistic gastronomic pursuits. The Grateful Palate has been extremely successful due to Dan’s ability to spot a winner combined with his marketing savvy. As 2007 is the year of the pig, you can imagine the marketing opportunities promoting bacon this year. The Wine Warehouse stores are filled with a plethora of Dan’s Australian wine selections with a majority of them receiving 90+ points from both Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator. Please be aware. Many of these wines are not for the faint of heart. Grateful Palate reds tend to go for maximum extraction and can be heady fruit bombs. Strap on your helmet!

"No one has done more to bring the great treasures of South Australia, particularly the old vine Grenache and Shiraz cuvées, to the American public than Dan Philips. Moreover, he has paved the road for other innovative Australian importers to do similar high quality work. Readers may not realize he is also the world’s greatest authority on "makin’ bacon." His Bacon of the Month club and his pursuit of artisinal, tiny bacon producers throughout the United States have made him a household name in the pork industry. As I know all too well, the quality of his bacons is extraordinary." Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate.

Below you will find a smattering of the Grateful Palate selections that are currently in our stores. Please note that not all selections may be available at every location.

Hobb’s The Gregor Shiraz is made from grapes that are hand picked and then placed onto drying racks. Over a period of time the drying process concentrates the berry flavors while maintaining their natural acids giving a unique flavor characteristic found only in this style of wine.

Made from yields of two tons of fruit per acre, and aged two years in both new and old French oak, the 2003 Shiraz Gregor (from 16-year-old vines) possesses a roasted/scorched earth character as some of the fruit is dried a la Amarone. Rich and full-bodied, with a broodingly dense, concentrated style, an inky/blue/purple color, fabulous length as well as intensity, and riveting fruit, it can be enjoyed over the next 12-15 years. 96 points The Wine Advocate

Hobb’s Shiraz ‘The Gregor’ 2003, Retail $134.99 Warehouse $99.99

Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 was 100% barrel fermented and aged for 12 months in 80% American oak and 20% French oak. 85% of the oak was new and the remaining 15% was one year old.

The deep ruby/purple-colored 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a restrained, elegant bouquet of black fruits, minerals, and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with excellent concentration, purity, and texture, it should be consumed over the next 7-10 years. 90 points The Wine Advocate.

Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Retail $64.99 Warehouse $49.99



The 2003 Rusden Cabernet Sauvignon Boundaries demonstrates how superb Barossa Cabernet can be. Aged 30 months in primarily old French (70%) and new American (30%) oak, it is a singular, distinctive effort offering notions of lead pencil shavings, tar, spice box, cedar, and juicy black currants. Deep, full-bodied, and rich with velvety tannin and a 45 plus second finish, this beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon should age effortlessly for 15 or more years. 94 points The Wine Advocate.

Rusden Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Boundaries’ 2003, Retail $79.99 Warehouse $59.99

Henry's Drive 2004 Shiraz. Cut from the same mold as the Dead Letter Office, the rich 2004 Shiraz is slightly more linear, but exhibits notes of espresso roast, blackberries, creme de cassis, flowers, and toasty new oak. Deep, rich, and layered, it is best consumed over the next 5-7 years. 91 points The Wine Advocate.

Henry’s Drive Shiraz 2004, Retail $39.99 Warehouse $29.99




Kay's Amery Shiraz 2003. One of Australia’s most traditional winemakers, Colin Kay fashions old style, high quality, distinctive Australian reds. Tarry, chewy, and fleshy, the 2003 Shiraz Hillside has a bit more punch (15% alcohol) as well as a sappy character that is not present in the regular bottling. It is a broad, savory, expansively flavored, full-bodied Shiraz to enjoy over the next decade. 92 points The Wine Advocate.

Kay’s Amery Shiraz 2003, Retail $44.99 Warehouse $29.99





Above is a picture of Jancis Robinson visiting the Brothers in Arms winery.




Brothers in Arms Shiraz 2002. More backward as well as more concentrated and layered than the 2000, with additional up-side potential, the 2001 Shiraz reveals a dense inky purple color along with a pretty nose of vanilla interwoven with acacia flowers, blackberries, and licorice. Full-bodied and opulent with a structure not dissimilar to some 2002s, give it 1-2 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 12-15. 91 points The Wine Advocate.

Brothers in Arms Shiraz 2002, Retail $39.99 Warehouse $29.99

Trevor Jones consistently produces one of the world’s best non-oaked, or “Virgin” Chardonnays, Trevor Jones’s offerings attain a laser-like precision without sacrificing any of their rich, white peach, pear, and honeyed citrus fruit. The medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, charming, tasty 2005 Virgin Chardonnay will be very flexible with a variety of cuisines if drunk during its first several years of life. 90 points The Wine Advocate.




Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay 2005, Retail $16.99 Warehouse $12.99
Trevor Jones Boots Grenache 2003, Retail $16.99 Warehouse $12.99

Marquis Philips’ 2004 Merlot is a tasty, dark ruby-hued example with sweet white chocolate characteristics intermixed with notions of road tar, black cherries, and currants. Supple-textured, medium-bodied, and luscious, it can be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. 87 points The Wine Advocate. This partnership between Dan Philips and winemakers Sarah and Sparky Marquis (who will no longer be making these wines starting with the 2005 vintage) has been a blockbuster success in the American market. And why not? They are delicious efforts possessing varietal character in addition to being loaded with fruit. In short, they are hedonistic, fun wines to drink ... just what wines should be. And, when you consider their prices, they represent exceptional values. The 2002s were knock-outs, the 2003s, while good, were less successful, and the 2004s hit the bull’s eye once again.

Marquis Philips Merlot 2004, Retail $14.99 Warehouse $12.99

Paringa's 2003 Shiraz’s (only cropped at a measly 6 tons of fruit per acre) deep ruby color is accompanied by sweet aromas of ripe cherries, berries, smoke, and pepper. With good ripeness, medium body, and a soft, supple texture, it can be enjoyed now and over the next 2-3 years. 87 points The Wine Advocate.

Paringa Shiraz 2003, Retail $9.99 Warehouse $7.99

The Wine Warehouse has been trying to figure out a way to promote The Grateful Palate’s wines for years. We have finally been able to work out a deal to offer these wines at a terrific value. Personally I am happy we are working with these wines as I have known Dan’s wife for many years back when she was a self proclaimed member of the Bimbettes. I have also known their National Sales Manager, Robert ‘Negroni’ Farver since his days with The Chalone Group. Hope that you enjoy these offerings. And remember…………..

Skippy can drive!

Stop stirring, they’re fat enough already………..

In the last blog we discussed the succession of superb vintages coming out of the Rhone valley. We need to take a look at the home of Chardonnay and the reference point for the variety; Burgundy. After the atypically hot 2003 vintage, 2004-2006 wines offer classic flavors and textures that can not be replicated outside of this region.

The Cote de Beaune is the home of many of the world’s finest wines, namely Meursault, Puligny Montrachet and Chassagne Montrachet. The soils in the Cote that are used for Chardonnay tend to be lighter and with a higher degree of limestone than the richer limestone/clay soils that is preferred for Pinot Noir.

Let me hit you with some knowledge: The Cote de Beaune is the southern stretch of the Cote D’Or which stretches for 30 miles southward from the town of Dijon. You know, the mustard place. ‘The Cote D’Or represents the fault line of the hills of the Morvan from the plain of the Saone, which, in the Jurassic period 135 to 195 million years ago, was an inland sea. The predominant rock is Jurassic limestone, which favors both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties.’ Oxford Encyclopedia of Wine

The 2004’s White Burgs are out in our stores, the 2005’s are just coming in and the 2006’s will begin to trickle in near the end of this year and into next year. The 2004 vintage was preferred by the purists to the 03 and 05 vintages as the wines have a reasonable amount of racy acidity that the 2003’s and 2005’s do not have. You need to decide for yourself what style of Chardonnay floats your boat when making your purchase.

The 2005 vintage was heralded in wine regions all over the world. The judgment of a particular vintage begins with the success that has occurred in the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. These regions have all arguably produced some of the finest wines than they have made in the last 50 years. In the Cote de Beaune the yields were naturally low due to a cool spell during flowering in June which brought some uneven development of the berries and less of a crop set. Cool nights and reasonably warm days are good growing condition for ripeness and maintaining balancing acidity. Some isolated hail storms in June reduced crop levels further and actually stretched out the harvest as the leaves were also damaged which are the catalyst for the photosynthesis of the berries. When harvested, the grapes yielded wines that were intense and rich, fleshy and vibrant, and a vintage that will appeal immediately once poured into a glass.

One of the current examples of a French estate that is split because of the Napoleanic succession code (remember, you can’t spell succession without the letters succ-s) is the estate of Philippe Colin. Phiippe and his brother Bruno split what was the estate of Colin-Deleger. Phillipe has nice holdings in the vineyards of Chassagne Montrachet, St Aubin and Santenay. We have a beautiful preview to the 2005 Red Burgundy wines with Phillipe’s Bourgogne Rouge. This is a beautifully styled Pinot Noir, with class, elegance and a bounty of red fruits that will last for days once opened. The 2005 whites are here in force and are everything that you would want in a white wine; they combine power and elegance, grace and length, with complexity and balance.

Phillipe tends to produce a precise, restrained and minerally version of Chardonnay. He stopped stirring the lees in December as lees stirring adds texture and creaminess to the wine and felt that the wines already possessed enough ‘gras’ or fatness on the palate.

With all wine, it is essential to treat it with care. These Burgundies were shipped in a refrigerated container and stored in a temperature controlled warehouse. You will find them in the precise condition that they were in when they left the cellar.


Phillip Colin’s wines from 2005:

Reds:
Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2005, Retail $21.99 Warehouse $17.99

Whites:

Maranges ‘Vignes Blanches’ 2005, Retail $26.99 Warehouse $21.99

Montagny ‘Sous les Feilles’ 2005, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $24.99

St Aubin ‘Les Combes’ 2005, Retail $41.99 Warehouse $34.99

Chassagne Montrachet 2005, Retail $49.99 Warehouse $39.99

Chassagne Montrachet ‘Clos St Jean’ 2005, Retail $74.99 Warehouse $59.99

Chassagne Montrachet ‘Embrazees’ 2005, Retail $74.99 Warehouse $59.99

Chevalier Montrachet ‘Grand Cru’ 2005, Retail $294.99 Warehouse $219.99

Come on! Live a little! Try these Burgs while they are still around. Remember that in the world of wine, we are currently living in the best of times.

You’ll be doing the hand gyrations and the la-la-la-la song from the Paulee in no time.

Don’t overlook the sandwich……….

We’re talking about the 2004 vintage in the southern Rhone. Being sandwiched between two very distinct vintages can make the middle one feel left out. 2003 was a scorcher of a year after the disastrous 2002 flood vintage. The 2003’s are very expressive and ripe. The heat spikes made the wines a bit more rustic than usual. The 2005 growing season could not have been more even. So what about the 2004’s? They show none of the severe tannins of the 2003 vintage. The 2004 growing season was hot from May through July. Even though 2004 was another drought year, it was not with the extreme conditions found in 2003.

Producers who had the experience and guts to wait until the end of September to pick brought in grapes whose flavors had finally caught up to their sugars. The grapes had achieved sugar ripeness, yet still had some under-ripe tannins to resolve through longer hang-time on the vine. Because of the longer, more moderate season, acidities in 2004 are higher than in recent warm vintages such as 2003 and 2000 with most growers comparing the vintage to more traditionally-styled years, such as in 1999. We have had some stunning wines from 2004. This is not a vintage to be overlooked.

Let me hit you with some knowledge: Chateauneuf-du-Pape has 13 authorized grape varieties that can be utilized in its production, 8 of them red and 5 of them white. The most important red variety is Grenache Noir for its potency, with raspberry and cracked pepper characters. Syrah is known for its meaty and dark fruit characters with structure and tannins. Mourvedre’s character is meaty, spicy and saddle-leather. Mourvedre is grown in the warmest spots as it is a Mediterranean variety that is used to the heat. The other red varieties are Cinsaut, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picpoul, Terret Noir and Counoise. Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourbelenc and Picardin are the permitted white varieties. The Perrin’s Chateau de Beacastel uses all 13 varieties in its red by using a small percentage of the white varieties to co-ferment with the red. The Bruniers at Vieux Telegraphe also co-ferment a small amount of white varieties into their CDP red. Co-fermentation experiments have shown that the co-fermented reds can actually turn out darker due to the chemical reaction between the red and white grapes. This process is also known in Hermitage with Syrah and Marsanne, in Cote Rotie with Syrah and Viognier, and is emerging as a trend in the new world with Shiraz/Viognier.

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe is one of the standard bearers for the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. Blessed with just over 160 acres of vines, the red grape vines average over 50 years of age. These older vines have had the opportunity to let their roots grow deep into the subsoil which insolates the vine against the conditions of drought years and excessive rains. These older vines tend to be in balance and lower yielding for more intensity of fruit character.

Daniel Brunier allows the grapes to do the talking in his wines. VT is not a product of overt new oak, but a harmonious gathering of several key grape varieties which generate power and complexity all by themselves. The grapes are sorted twice before being partially crushed and de-stemmed. Fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats and then on to marry in epoxy lined concrete vats for 10 months before being racke into large oak foudres for 12 months. The wine is not filtered and then bottled. This is an absolute world-class wine. This is priced below many classified Bordeaux Chateau’s second labels. This CDP is still an amazing value.


DOMAINE DU VIEUX TÉLÉGRAPHE Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2004
Pure and silky, with raspberry, cocoa, truffle and mineral notes that glide along fresh acidity. Long, silky finish lets the fruit and minerality hang nicely, while the garrigue hangs in the background, This should blossom in the cellar. Best from 2008 through 2025. 94pts Wine Spectator

The 2004 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape, which is a selection of the oldest vines of the estate, is a stunning wine made from a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah, and the rest various other red varietals. There are 17,000 cases from their huge holdings in the famed eastern sector known as La Crau. This wine has deep ruby/plum color and a sweet nose of kirsch liqueur, licorice, and salty sea breezes. This is a top-notch Vieux Telegraphe, and I could tell that Daniel Brunier thinks it’s the finest he’s made since 1998. The tannins are sweet, the wine full-bodied, but certainly capable of 15-20 years of evolution. 92-94pts The Wine Advocate

Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape 2004, Retail $51.99 Warehouse $39.99

Telegramme, originally the label was used for the washed out disaster of the 2002 vintage. It proved to be so popular that the Brunier family now uses it for the grapes that do not make it in the Grand Vin. This wine and the Perrin Sinards are a much better option than the usual negociant bottlings of CDP.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme 2004
Racy, with cassis and red plum fruit held in check by racy mineral, garrigue and graphite notes. Long, taut finish. Drink now through 2014. 89 points Wine Spectator

Chateauneuf du Pape Telegramme 2004, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $24.99

The Perrin’s of Chateau de Beaucastel fame produce a Chateauneuf du Pape from the younger vines at Château de Beaucastel, together with a leased vineyard of 7 hectares that lies to the west of Beaucastel, in the commune of Orange. The blend is 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre. The wine is vinified in the same manner as Château de Beaucastel and is matured in casks for a year before bottling.

The 2004 Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape Les Sinards includes culled-out lots that don’t make the grade at Chateau Beaucastel plus purchased grapes from a 10-acre vineyard in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape in the quarter known as Gres. It is about 70% Grenache and the rest Counoise, Syrah, and Mourvedre. The wine shows earthy, animal notes with hints of saddle leather, black tea, sweet cherries, and licorice. It is rich, medium to full-bodied, and well-made. 88-90pts Wine Advocate

Perrin ‘Les Sinards’ Chateauneuf du Pape 2004, Retail $29.99 Warehouse $24.99

Chateau de Beaucastel 2004 was the top scorer in The Wine Spectator’s CDP issue. It is just arriving in the state as we blog. Look for it to be in our stores shortly.

Let me put a 'Shout'o'neuf' out to TD in the warehouse.

The sandwich vintage will prove that it’s a fine time to be a Rhone wine lover………