Grapesphere

1999 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron

This wine started off a little dry and austere. Overall it was a lighter bodied wine that possessed a lot of acidity. The nose was full of violet and lavender scents. After about 2 hrs, it started to smooth out and open up. While there was good grip with the persistent amount of tannins, the finish is a little short, never developing that depth that I expected. While I didn't hate this wine, it didn't quiet deliver the goods expected with a little age. Even on day two, the wine had lost most of its fruit and lacked any complexity.

Rating: 88pts

2005 Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Les Champauvins

This wine had some huge fruit and a ton of tannins. Though I drank this right away, the wine took around 2 hours to really open up. The nose was full of bosanberry, lavender and black licorice. The flavors included kirsch, bacon fat, and leather. There were also notes of earth and a game-y quality. The intensity of the wine continued right until the end of the bottle. Priced around $17.

Rating: 92pts

2005 Domaine Le Colombier Vieilles Vignes Vacqueyras

This wine had a very pretty nose of floral and earthy components. The color was at first thin, however with a little bit of air, the wine turned a more violet hue and seems to thicken. A mostly Grenache base, this wine was smooth and subtle on the front of the palate, mixing in a little bit of spice and licorice. The end was a little rustic and earthy, showing a bit of dirt and tar at back of the throat. I quiet enjoyed the cherries and dark chocolate flavors. Nice floral component as well – a little lavender I believe, cut with some mustard greens. Priced around $17.

Rating: 92 pts

2005 Domaine Presidente Cairanne Cotes Du Rhone Villages

This was a wonderful wine from a great vintage. As my first taste of the 2005 vintage, it didn’t disappoint. There was a lot of fresh fruit, with nice cranberry and raspberries notes. There was also the classic licorice and lavender flavors mixed into earthy mushroom and bacon fat. Overall, this was a very enjoyable wine with good body and nice finish. It was also a good value, priced around $13.

Rating: 91pts