Minneapolis Wine Club
Northern Rhone (Featuring Delas)
March 13
Another great tasting at the best wine club in Minnesota. No corked bottles and all wines preview for perfection. This is one of 2 main event tastings for the year with the Bordeaux Tasting happening in the fall.
- 2003 Delas Frères Crozes-Hermitage Le Clos - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
Dark purple. Nose showing off spice, bacon, black olives and floral notes. On the palate this is an inegrated wine and overall really balanced. Medium finish that picks up some tar elements. Super Crozes-Hermitage. (92 pts.) - 2003 Delas Frères Côte-Rôtie Seigneur de Maugiron - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Dark purple. Nose of floral, bacon, raspberries, and spices. Very nice palate which picks up some white pepper and tar elements. Medium to long finish and this is drinking really well right now. (94 pts.) - 2003 Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Dark purple. Nose shows white pepper, tar and ripe fruit. On the palate tar, pepper, dark fruits, and spice. Good acidity.
Medium finish and a good value Cote-Rotie. (91 pts.) - 2001 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Medium red and some bricking. Nose is subtle with white pepper, floral, tar. On the palate it is not real concentrated but shows off some classic Syrah character. Medium finish. This did not show as well as the 2003. (92 pts.) - 2003 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
DARK. The nose is big with floral, licorice, raspberry, tar and game. The palate is complex and has really good acidity. Medium and concentrated finish. This is a wine that will evolve for years to come! (95 pts.) - 2003 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Dark. Elegant nose with spice, raspberry, truffles and scorched earth. Palate is subtle but interesting with spices, rasberries, tar, and clay. Medium finish. Nothing bad but too spendy at $100 plus. (93 pts.) - 1998 M. Chapoutier Côte-Rôtie La Mordorée - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
Third time sampling this wine with the first a 97 and the second really disappointed. This one showed really well with aromas of floral, spice, funk, and scorched earth. There is a nice game quality on the palate and really good acidity. Medium/long finish with multilayered components. Really nice and should age another 10 years. (95 pts.)
