MNSC Rhone Trip Day 5: drinking Châteauneuf

Lunch at Restaurant L'Oustalet in Gigondas.

2009 Yves Cuilleron Condrieu La Petite Côte - very ripe, sweet, honey, marmalade and straw.  Good acidity but I thought it was too ripe on the palate.

2009 Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes - beeswax notes.  Good balance between acidity and ripeness.  Sipping this wine after eating the deep-fried ravioles turned it into something that was really hot and ripe on the palate.

2009 Clos Saouma Châteauneuf-du-Pape - nose was a little sharp, minty, and very sweet.

2000 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - black olives, black fruits, smoky, very salty and mineral.

1989 Beaucastel Rouge - rubber, leather, farmy and sharp.  Drank beautifully with some Reblochon, which turned the wine into a sweet, jammy nectar.

Dinner at Numéro 75 in Avignon.

2000 Beaucastel Hommage à Jacques Perrin - nose was pretty open, showy, with animal, leather, spices, mint and prunes. Later on there was lots of toast. So big and fragrant. Wow!

1995 Henri Bonneau Réserve des Célestins - lovely nose with ripe fruit and mint.  Good acidity balance.

1998 Roger Sabon Le Secret des Sabon - nose was a little muted at first.  Very ripe and sweet on the palate.  Very alcoholic and burns the back of my throat going down.  Tannins still very big.  Obviously a Parker wine, which explains the very high scores given for this first vintage.  Three and a half hours later, nose was much more open, with ripe and a little cooked fruit, a little mineral and savory.  Really sharp and alcoholic now.

Drinks at La Mirande in Avignon.

1959 Palmer - lots of sweet grass, a little smoky, a little mineral, plenty of toast.  Sweet fruit.  Lovely.

Full post on lunch and dinner is here.