TN: Sunday Drop-in at Cork Vault Charlotte (Guigal, Delas, Tablas Creek)

SUNDAY DROP-IN AT CORK VAULT CHARLOTTE (GUIGAL, DELAS, TABLAS CREEK) - Charlotte, NC (7/3/2022)

Just a random drop-in of Cork Vault members where a couple of us wanted an excuse to open some 20+ year old Rhones.

Rhones with Friends
This was a random coming together so any “theme” emerged one bottle at a time. The starter red Burgundy was fine for its purpose to kick things off whereas the Rhones really shined on the day.

  • 2015 Château Philippe-le-Hardi Mercurey La Brigadière Vieilles Vignes - France, Burgundy, Côte Chalonnaise, Mercurey
    Decanted 2 hours because prior glass that was coravined gave indications this wine could use a year or two more aging or more air to better integrate the tasty though competing notes. Conclusion: Not so much.
    Nose: moderate aromatics of red cherries and rustic notes.
    Body: Nicely primary with some herbaceousness I was hoping would better integrate. Dirty cherries and raspberry notes. Texture softens as it gains body but never hits a higher gear overall. Nice long finish. Savory and enjoyable wine if a bit primary.
  • 2002 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie Château d’Ampuis - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
    Decanted 2 hours before sampling where it was a bit disjointed. Needed the 3rd hour of air before settling into fine form.
    Nose: rapidly evolving following the decant; mushrooms, ripe strawberries with a hint of caramel that blew off.
    Body: Full-bodied with flavorful plums and currants balanced delightfully against rustic brown leaves and red clay notes.
    Finish: 60+ seconds of deliciousness.
    A wine showing great character on the day especially against the more fully integrated and balanced 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards. (93 pts.)
  • 1999 Delas Frères Hermitage Les Bessards - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
    Decanted for 2 hours but sampled along the way.
    Nose: Balanced aromas. Fresh red fruits with gentle rustic notes.
    Body: Rich plums, notes of pine and cinnemon; Ready to go (consumption-wise). Balanced texture: smooth with gentle minerality.
    Finish: 45 seconds and savory.
    A far more consistent performer next to the 2002 Guigal Ampuis. I gave both Rhones the same numeric score but any professional critic would have given the nod to the Delas. My personal bias is the flavor profile of the Guigal though. 3 votes for Wine of the Night. (93 pts.)
  • 2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Panoplie - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
    Late entrant, decanted ~1.5 hours after the Rhones and hit its stride at the 2 hour mark.
    Nose: Soft, gentle notes of raspberries.
    Body: Elegant wine (but give it the full 2 hours of air); smooth texture and balanced red fruit notes. Easy drinking and more approachable. A crowd pleaser.
    Finish: Medium length and enjoyable.
    This “Southern Rhone” blend from Paso Robles was a fun and tasty complement to the Northern Rhones. 3 Votes for Wine of the Night which speaks to “all wine tasting is personal” and the bias of any amateur scorer as I had this a notch below the Rhones yet it was clearly a strong performer to the crowd. (92 pts.)
  • 2011 Chester’s Anvil Hattori Hanzo - USA, California, Napa Valley
    Decanted 2 hours although we checked in from time-to-time.
    Nose: concentrated aromas of dark fruits. A fun contrast to the Rhones.
    Body: Full-bodied with balanced dark fruit notes – Cherries against blackberries with red currants. More fruit and less earthy than a big Napa Cabernet Sauvignon which makes sense considering this was a “Right Bank” blend. Continued to soften with more air and was best at the 3 hour mark.
    Finish: Medium length finish of red fruits. Youthful.
    The actual blend was a bit of a debate as there is apparently confusion as to some of the source material. I think this was 55% Merlot, 25% Cab franc, 5-10% Cab Sauvignon, and then a blend of Viognier/Gewurztraminer (only because I was told these grapes were in there). (90 pts.)

A fun day with a tasty “Southern Rhone” blend layered in to great success. Cheers!
Posted from CellarTracker