Which Jamet?

I’m contributing a Jamet to a northern rhone tasting soon (which will be mostly Chave, with one Allemand). I have a number of years, but haven’t had any recently. any preferences on which to open amongst the following:

2004, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 2010, 2013?

06 or 04 depending on where you are in the tasting line up 04 if you are first up and 06 if you are later on the list

09 was nice lately

I’d say 06, then 04. I wouldn’t open any 09s right now.

anything but 09 - that just won’t be ready. I just had a 2010 and it was SPLENDID and youthful. 04 is definitely more evolved. Just depends what vintages of chave and how you want to match it.

Oh, I’d also add - not 2013. That’s an odd vintage for Jamet.

Chaves will be 95, plus some combo of 98,2000, 2001. Allemand I think is 2005 Reynard.

Can I ask how you think it’s odd? Not good, or late maturing, or just not representative of Jamet but still a good wine?

I would suggest you bring them all.

I’ll suggest the 2008.

It’s not among the highlight vintages in Northern Rhone, considered by most to be best early-drinkers due to the abundance of rain. But, Jamet always thrived in difficult vintages where most others in the region did not and they did well with the 2008, imo.

Yea, cough up the goods, Greg, what’s your take?

You cannot leave us peons with these cliffhangers. [wow.gif] I have quite a bit of the 13.

NO call for the 07? I would not touch the 2010.

I’ve had it twice and both times it was the most shut down bottle of northern Rhône I’ve ever had. Giving up absolutely nothing. I own a bunch of it too, so was not thrilled at the showing!

With some air that 95 Chave is spectacular. The 2005 Reynard is going to be a big boy! Am very curious how it performs.

I’ve had a few of the big boys showing like that in 2010 and 2013. At this early stage, did that actually give you pause about long-term prospects? I chocked it up to a vintage needing significant time. My 10s and 13s are off-site and in lockdown.

It’s Jamet, so I’m not panicking, but it was how closed it was on the nose that was so bizarre. It wasn’t that it was just a wall of tannin/structure, it’s that it was showing nothing. I own a few mags of it too! I’m just chalking it up to being in a weird place.

I thought 13 out of 375 was nice a couple years ago, but I felt the 09 was more open as I said. I found it more open than 10 but ymmv.

From this list, I would go with the 2006, which opens up pretty nicely after an hour’s decant. The only issue in opening Jamet with less than 20 years on the clock is knowing the opportunity cost: one fewer bottle down the road of Jamet with >20 years on the clock! With the 2006, you can still sort of parse the components, and the subtle oak patina is noticeable, whereas with the e.g. 1997 everything is just seamlessly integrated. Having said that, I have not exactly followed by own advice, as I think I only have one bottle of 2006 left. Mature Northern Rhône is one of the big gaps in my cellar. I guess I need to find a caviste in Lyon; but I suspect a lot of the mature northern Rhône wines that surface in France end up headed to the US gray market.

The increase on pricing on mature northern Rhones has been worse (or better, I suppose, if you’re selling) in the past couple years than for Burgundy in the US. There are still a few under the radar producers that are still somewhat cheap, but I suspect that will end soon. And it’s certainly not Jamet champagne.gif

Just drank an 05 reynard this past weekend. What a wine. Needs a ton of air but the components are A+

Not on your list, but as an FYI, an '01 Jamet I opened last week was amazing (even better than a recent '99) and I intend to consume all of mine in the next year…not because of any reason to fear it could be moving beyond its prime, but just because it’s so good now that for me there is much more risk in continuing to hold than in drinking.