WCC Châteauneuf du Pape 1990 or older
at Nicole's Bistro, Albany, NY (3/24/2005)
The WCC met at a Nicole's Bistro to blind taste a range of Châteauneufs.
Most wines were decanted late in the afternoon for a 7:30 tasting, except where noted.
Our rankings as a group are listed after each wine, followed by the info on which
they were calculated, in the format (a1, a2, a3, pts) where
- a1 = # first place votes
- a2 = # second place votes
- a3 = # third place votes
- pts = total points = (3 x a1) + (2 x a2) + (1 x a3)
My notes and scores follow each wine. The wines were blind to the group, but not to me.
Flight 1
1. 1979 Jaboulet La Grappe des Papes – 5th place (2,0,0,6)
Appealing chocolate, red-fruit nose. Nice in the mouth, though slightly tart. Mature, but still there.
Lovely and complex. 88 points.
2. 1983 Jaboulet La Grappe des Papes – tied for 10th place (0,0,0,0)
Nose of red fruits and spice. Very similar to (1), but a touch weedy. 87 points.
3. 1978 Château Beaucastel – tied for 3rd place (2,1,2,10)
Real barnyardy nose. Sweet and smooth with a slight tannic bite on the finish, but a lovely, smooth,
long, complex finish. 89 points.
4. 1981 Château Beaucastel – tied for 10th place (0,0,0,0)
Appealing earthy nose. Exquisite sweet fruit. Great length. Not a powerhouse anymore, but quite lovely.
Black fruits. Even better with wild mushroom bisque. 93 points.
Flight 2
5. 1985 Château Beaucastel – tied for 10th place (0,0,0,0)
Tight, complex nose. thick, rich, tannic! Needs 3-5 years. Ready when paired with the Charcuterie.
91-93 points.
6. 1988 Château Beaucastel – tied for 9th place (0,0,1,1)
Big earthy nose. Medium thick. Sweet. Ready. Tasty! 91 points.
7. 1989 Château Beaucastel – tied for 3rd place (2,2,0,10)
Huge red-fruit and mulch nose. Huge and backward, but smooth and sweet. A great wine!
Stunning complexity. Wow! 97 points.
8. 1990 Château Beaucastel – 1st place (2,1,4,12) [decanted 24 hours]
Heady complex nose. Huge black fruits. Tannic with intense black fruit. 95 points.
Flight 3
9. 1988 Château Fortia – tied for 9th place (0,0,1,1) [not decanted]
Muted, sweet-fruit nose. Complex, green tannins. Not too appealing. Might need 5 years.
Lots of chocolate. 88-91 points.
10. 1989 Château Fortia – 7th place (0,1,1,3) [not decanted]
Intense blackberry nose. Beautiful sweet ripe fruit. Gorgeous now. Tasty black fruits. 93 points.
11. 1990 Domaine de Marcoux – 2nd place (2,2,1,11)
Big barnyardy nose. Backward and tannic. Needs to open up.
One hour later: Thin and a touch bitter. Didn't need to open up. 85 points
Flight 4
12. 1990 Les Cailloux – 8th place (0,1,0,2)
Mulchy nose. Huge thick sweet tasty black fruits. Needs 3 years. Tasty!
Has a honey-like quality to it! Unusual, but good. 92-94 points.
13. 1990 Les Cailloux Cuvée Centenaire – 6th place (0,2,1,5)
Huge black fruit nose. Tight, complex, tannic. Exquisite. Complex and stunning!
Coffee in the nose. Has such potential, but needs 5-10 years. Riveting!
Medium length, otherwise nearly perfect. Try again in 5-10 years. 96-98 points.
All original content © Ken Vastola