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Northern Rhône 1980 - 1986

This tasting saw a number of wines from the main appellations of the northern region of the Rhône Valley. Some were clearly showing their age, whereas some remained surprisingly youthful, despite all of the wines being at least fifteen years old. (11/10/01)

Northern Rhone1980 - 1986 - Tasting Notes

Tasted in October 2001. Click to locate stockists:

Noel Verset Cornas 1986: Corked, and the last bottle of the case too. Not rated.

Jaboulet St Joseph Reserve Personelle 1985: Quite a rich and opulent colour here, denser than several of the wines in the next flight. The nose drips with the caramel, burnt toffee and custard-vanilla aromas that indicate lashings of new oak, a dead giveaway that this is Jaboulet. A beautifully fresh, rounded yet heavily oak-influenced palate, with a charred caramel flavour. There is some fairly fresh and smoky raspberry fruit though, with good acidity which has helped maintain that freshness. On the endpalate this wine is drying out and is somewhat disjointed, so drink up if you have some. 15.5/20

Jasmin Côte-Rôtie 1983: A mahogany-red colour, showing its age. Nevertheless quite fresh on the nose, with violets and red berry fruits. Similar smoky, peppery though simple fruit on the palate. The tannins are soft and very well integrated, but the acid seems a little prominent, and this wine is clearly drying out towards the endpalate. Falling apart and quite disjointed on the finish. Past its best. 13/20

Guigal Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde 1985: This is a darker wine, with much less evidence of age on the colour. There is a floral, fragrant edge to the fresh black fruits present on the nose. With some black pepper and a hint of rubber, this is classic Côte Rôtie. It has a lovely structure, with firm tannins and balanced acidity keeping it fresh. Plenty of youthful, powerful blackberry fruit becomes apparent as the wine develops in the glass, although some of the floral notes disappear. It holds its own much longer than the other wines in the flight, though. Great length. 17.5/20

Delas Côte-Rôtie Seigneur de Maugiron 1985: This has a similar, fairly dense colour, with an appealing nose of rose petal tobacco, tar and beef extract. Delightful complexity that kept me coming back for more. On the palate it has more elegance than the other wine, and has a finer balance. There is just a touch of rounded fatness, with some smoke, pepper and fruit flavours, and a floral streak. Most impressive is the substantial length. A good showing from this much maligned négociant. 17/20

Guy de Barjac Cornas 1983: An incredibly dense, mahogany-black wine to open this flight. The nose is austere and ungiving at first, yet later seems raw, primitive and earthy. On the palate I am taken aback by the raw power of this wine. There are still lots of tannins present, with a good layer of black and inky fruit. Supporting peppery, citrussy acidity is no doubt what has kept this wine so well. A chewy, meaty texture. This is a big wine, with a finish still dominated by tannins. Impressive stuff from this less highly regarded producer. 17.5/20

Voge Cornas 1985: This is a paler wine, with aromas of smoke, rubber, leather and even smoked haddock at first. Later on the wine develops notes of malt, butter and perhaps even sulphur. On the palate, a lovely weight, packed with spicy raspberry fruit, and yet it has such a delightful balance. No drying out here, with fruit and texture through to the finish. Some good length as well. 17/20

Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1980: This has a red-mahogany colour, and is perhaps the least densely coloured wine here. The nose has powerful aromas of butter, with some gently frying bacon, a touch of coconut, and perhaps a few notes of stewed vegetables. Deliciously fine texture on the palate, with soft, integrated tannins and acidity supporting a fading layer of. raspberry fruit, with some bacon and smoke nuances on the endpalate. This wine is mature, and in fact there are some notes of deterioration on the drying finish. Nevertheless, enjoyable. 16/20

Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1982: A darker hue, with some tawny development. The nose is fine and quite elegant, loaded with aromas of crushed raspberries, with a background note of tar. The palate is similarly brimming with fruit, there are soft, structural tannins and balanced acidity. The fruit is layered with complexities, pepper, spices, suggestions of charcoal and smoke. Despite its age it still maintains a fairly rich texture, with almost an oily edge. The finish leads into a good length. 17/20

JL Chave Hermitage 1982: An vibrant looking red wine, with just a tawny edge. The nose takes some time to open up, but when it does it exudes class and power. There is a seam of smoke and tar, polished off with just a touch of clean raspberry fruit. The palate exhibits a lovely balance, with quite a light, almost ethereal texture. Harmonious integration of smoky fruit, tannins and acidity. This mature wine finishes cleanly with another good length. 18.5/20