Perrin & Fils, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2007 The nose features sweet berries and black pepper. In the mouth it quite structured with medium weight; it’s crying out for red meat – nice value from the Rhone. This wine is 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache. Mis en bouteille in Orange 13% $9.69 at Bottle Barn

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Les Vignerons de Tavel, Tavel, Prestige des Lauzeraies 2007 Sweet cherry fruit marks the nose and carries over on the palate. The mouth is broad and weighty, the acidity low, the fruit flavors are compelling and the body is big – a nice Tavel. The grapes are 50% Grenache, 25% Cinsault and 25% Syrah harvested [...]

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Alain Graillot, Crozes Hermitage 2007 In the nose you sense the classic black pepper along with a meatiness and herbal character, perhaps hinting at rosemary and thyme. In the mouth this is a structured Syrah, acidic and tannic, delicious and long. Vinifie, eleve et mis en bouteille a Pont de l’Isere 13% $21.99 at Bottle [...]

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Domaine de la Mordoree, Tavel, “La Dame Rousse” 2008 The freshness of strawberries are evident in the nose and in th mouth that theme is over a rather big and slightly warm structure. The grapes behind this pink wine are 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Clairette. The domaine has 40 hectares of [...]

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Perrin & Fils, Vacqueyras, Les Christins 2006 Black pepper and red fruits combine with a sense of the garrigue when you smell this wine. In the mouth it is structured and ready to accompany a pepper steak; the acidity carries the flavor a long way for the price. The blend of grapes is 80% Grenache [...]

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Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Cotes-du-Rhone Rouge, 2005 The black fruits are alight in the nose with a liquer-like character. In the mouth the fruit is very expressive with the structure you’d expect – a great combo. The grapes are sourced from the Coudoulet vineyard, grown organically and include about 30% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and [...]

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This flight features 3 wines from the Northern Rhone, all 100% Syrah.
Domaine Eric et Joel Durand, Cornas, Empreintes 2005 In the nose there is tar, a sense of permanent solution, meat and black fruits. With more air the black pepper comes on. On the palate this wine is chewy and earthy, medium weight, with hints [...]

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Domaine Pierre Gonon, Saint-Joseph, “Les Oliviers” 2006 This bottle of white Saint-Joseph sports a toasty nose, with minerality and nuttiness. The mouth follows a similar line, with toasty, smoky essence and buttery richnss. This is a fat and weighty white wine, almost unctous and lowish in acidity. The grapes are 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne [...]

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Michel & Stéphane Ogier, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, Vigonier de Rosine 2006 You would swear this wine is from the New World when you stick your nose in the glass. The peachy fruit is just so vibrant. In the mouth, this wine is full-bodied and luscious, lowish in acidity and brimming with the [...]

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Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, “La Crau” 2006 The wine today is Brunier’s white CDP. In the nose there is baking bread, straw and a subtle sense of stone fruits. In the mouth the wine is quite weighty, mineral driven and enhanced by oak in the background. The wine is a touch corked thus there [...]

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M. Chapoutier, Vin de Table de France, Doux, Les Coufis de Paille de l’Ardeche 2001 This wine is deeply golden, picking up hues of amber and a touch of khaki. The nose is a complex mix of orange and spice, reminiscent of flaming oranges studded with cloves at a tableside performance in a restaurant of [...]

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Andre Brunel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Les Cailloux 2005 The nose sports smoke and a healthy but appropriate dose of brett for this wine, accentuating a meatiness. The earthiness repeats in the mouth with an explosion of red fruits. The structure provides the frame around these flavors and a chance to improve over the next decade. I just [...]

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Domaine des Bernardins, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise 2006
A complex mix of fresh peaches, flowers and alcohol, in check for the style. The RS is on the low side so it would be better to look to fresh fruit as a pairing partner rather than a sweet baked dessert. 100% Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. Mis par [...]

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Monticello, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District, Estate Grown, Syrah 2005 Lush and graced by black fruits and a bit of black pepper. P&B in Napa 14.5% $ at the winery Monticello
Trinafour, Mendocino County, Niemi Vineyard, Carignane 2006 There’s ample acidity to give this wine some tang and the tannins are ripe and refined. Sourced from [...]

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Le Clos du Caillou Cotes du Rhone Vielles Vignes Cuvee Unique 2005
This is a solid wine, balanced in medium weight with ripe fruits and structure. The ripeness is such that there are liquer-like black fruits. The alcohol is showing a bit in this chewy wine. Sourced from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, this wine is a blend of 90% [...]

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Domaine des Bernardins Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise 2005
Quite complex with apparent alcohol. 100% Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains. Mis par Cave Castaud in Beaumes-de-Venise 15% $12.99 (375ml) at Bottle Barn

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Perrin & Fils Cotes du Rhone Villages 2004
Gamey with earthy notes and a fair amount of tannin. This wine is 50% Syrah and 50% Grenache. Mis in Orange 13% $9.69 at Bottle Barn

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Chateau La Canorgue Cotes du Luberon 2006
Unfortunately this wine is showing its alcohol quite overtly. The grapes for this wine are Clairette, Roussanne, Marsanne and Bourboulenc. La Canorgue farms its 30 hectares biodynamically. Mis au chateau par Jean-Pierre et N. Margan, prop. et recolt. a Bonnieux 14.5% $13.69 at Bottle Barn
Domaine de Grangeneuve Coteaux-du-Tricastin Les [...]

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Domaine de la Mordoree Tavel La Dame Rousse 2006
Smells of strawberry and bisquits.  There’s a broad mouthfeel with fruit to taste and added weight compared to other roses – very nice. The grapes behind this pink wine are 60% Grenache, 10-20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 5-10% Clairette and 5% Bourboulenc. The domaine has 40 hectares [...]

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Domaine Les Pallieres Gigondas 2003
This has been a consistent performer at a more affordable price than the well-made Brunier wines from CDP. The last bottle tasted earlier in 2007 was good again, but the tannic astringency at that time seemed out of balance with the density of flavour. Tonight we try it again [...]

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Domaine Richaud Cairanne Cotes du Rhone Villages 2005
When I visited with Marcel Richaud a few years ago, his red wines were concentrated and demonstrated the value in this appellation. Bottles tasted here at home from the 2003 vintage were sometimes spot on and other times problematic. Now with the 2005 we experience lots of sulfur [...]

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This flight features 3 Syrah from both sides of the Atlantic.
Domaine des Entrefaux Crozes-Hermitage 2005
Black pepper and structure in a good value Northern Rhone Syrah. Charles & Francois Tardy a Chanos-Curson 12.5% $14.49 at Bottle Barn
Lewis Cellars Sonoma County Ethan’s Syrah 2005
Smells of wweetness derived from the grapes and the oak – a dry wine [...]

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The red wines from the Southern Rhone follow a recipe that emphasizes Grenache. The wines of this flight highlight this underdog grape.
Unti Dry Creek Valley Grenache 2005
Pretty funky at first opening but after an hour, the smell improved to show the Grenache fruit. This wine is framed by a moderate level of tannin. [...]

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Verget du Sud Vin de Pays du Vaucluse Roussanne 2006 Jean-Marie Guffens’ impressive work with the grapes of Burgundy continues with grapes sourced further south, in this case from the Vaucluse, a department on the east side of the river Rhone which encompasses the great town of Avignon. In April ‘08 a bottle was off [...]

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The barrel tasting at this year’s Wine Song struck a Rhône theme.  Mendocino vintners sampled their latest bottlings and barrel samples from recent vintages.  How they manage to juggle the concurrent harvest and pouring at this event amazes me. 
Wines to pay attention to:
Philo Ridge Mendocino Viognier 2006
This wine has the classic Viognier smell of peaches [...]

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