Rare Wines

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First, a magnum of 1964 Hermitage La Chapelle from Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Lucid in hue, it sports modest bricking on the rim. Its initial tightness on the nose soon disappears to reveal layers of melted red berries, allspice and touches of wild mint, hints of potpourri/garrigues emerging with time. The palate is fleshy and displays exquisite balance, the vestige of fruit framed by filigree tannins, hints of strawberry and bay leaf as it fans out and deepens on the captivating finish. Format and provenance play a role here, yet it was undeniably Hermitage at its very best and at 58-years of age, one senses it has no intention of stepping off its high plateau. Utterly transfixing.Vinous Media | 97 VMA warm summer led to supple, low-acidity wines. This Chapelle reflects the vintage--smooth, silky and full-bodied. Less expressive than the ’66, but tastes rounder and richer. Melts on the palate as it delivers white chocolate, spice, fresh plum and freshly roasted coffee bean. Seems younger than you’d expect from a 35-year-old wine.--La Chapelle vertical. Drink now through 2005.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThis fully mature La Chapelle exhibits a dark garnet color with considerable amber at the edge. Aromas of wood fires, smoke, leather, Asian spices, roasted vegetables, and meats emerge from the wine’s bouquet.Burly, brawny, fat, and full, with low acidity, high alcohol, and copious glycerin and fruit, this 1964 is initially sumptuous, creamy-textured, and spectacular to drink, but it quickly cracks up as it sits in the glass. I have not had much previous experience with this vintage, but I suspect it was close to perfect when drunk in its prime (the seventies and early eighties). However, it is clearly at the end of its useful life, and should be consumed ... quickly.Robert Parker | 93 RP

This murky, purple/garnet-colored wine offers up an exotic nose of tea, smoked duck, licorice, truffles, and earth. Extraordinarily concentrated, and almost too rich to be called a beverage, this viscous, compellingly endowed, massive La Landonne remains 5-7 years away from full maturity. The wine possesses excruciatingly high tannin in the finish, but awesome levels of extract and glycerin. Anticipated maturity: 2001-2025. Last tasted 6/96.Robert Parker | 98 RPVery rich, and very ripe, this is packed with tannins and flavors of plum, black pepper and game. Still needs time to harmonize; try in 2000.--Guigal Côte-Rôtie vertical. — TMWine Spectator | 92 WS(Guigal Côte-Rôtie “La Landonne”) The 1983 La Landonne is a lovely bottle of Côte-Rôtie that has also reached its plateau of maturity, and only suffers a bit in comparison to the transcendental La Mouline. The ’83 La Landonne is a full-bodied and very complex Côte-Rôtie that is a bit more true to the vintage’s characteristics, with a bit of a dry edge on the finish detracting just a tad from the brilliance of the flavors and aromatics. The nose is deep and complex, offering up notes of cassis, grilled meats, ground pepper, hot stones, herbs, and a bit of tar. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and resolved, with fine complexity, a good core of fruit, and just a bit of dry tannin poking out on the long, complex finish. The finish is typical of many 1983 northern Rhônes, and though it is not drying out like so many of the wines from this vintage, it is also more typical of its vintage than the surreal ’83 La Mouline. (Drink between 2005-2015)John Gilman | 92 JG

One of the all-time great La Moulines, this still youthful and unevolved wine does not have the tannic ferocity of the 1988, or the sheer force and intensity of the 1978, 1976, and 1969, but it represents the epitome of this single-vineyard wine. Everything fits perfectly in this full-bodied, black/purple-colored wine that reveals no garnet or amber at the edge of its color. The nose offers up a formidable array of overripe black raspberries and cherries intertwined with scents of cedar, chocolate, olives, and toast. Extremely full-bodied, with an unctuosity and opulence that must be tasted to be believed, this velvety-textured wine’s finish lasts for over a minute. It is one of the most concentrated but profoundly endowed and well-balanced wines I have ever tasted. Like so many of the wines Guigal has produced from this vineyard, no matter how hard one tries to articulate its glories, words are simply inadequate. The 1985 is just beginning to achieve full maturity, where it should remain for another 15 + years. Anticipated maturity: now-2012. Last tasted 8/96.Robert Parker | 100 RPA collection of stunning older northern Rhônes puts a strong exclamation point on this night of fabulous food, wine and conversation. The 1985 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline has far better balance. One of the wines of the night, the Mouline is dark, sensual and breathtakingly beautiful. Layers of dark fruit intermingled with scents of tobacco, licorice, plum, black cherry and incense blossom into the voluptuous, exotic finish. At thirty years of age, the 1985 is a real stunner.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGVivid, concentrated and complete, this gorgeous wine is rich with kirsch, floral, vanilla and raspberry flavors that go on forever. Lovely now, but better after 2000.--Guigal Côte-Rôtie vertical. Wine Spectator | 97 WS(Côte-Rôtie “la Mouline”- Domaine Guigal) I can vividly recall just how beautiful the 1985 La Mouline was from Marcel Guigal back in the decade of the 1990s, when there were few other wines from the vintage that could match its sheer beauty and extravagant personality. However, at age thirty-one, the new oak in this wine is starting to poke out a bit more than was the case back in its prime, and the wine is not quite the seamless beauty it was of yesteryear. It is still a lovely bottle, but it has come back to the pack a bit, offering up a deep and complex nose of black raspberries, cassis, grilled meats, nutskin, coffee, a lovely base of soil and plenty of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and still in its plateau of maturity, with melted tannins and a long, classy finish. I would be happy to drink this wine anytime, but I remember when it was just a bit closer to perfection than it is today. (Drink between 2016-2035)John Gilman | 94 JG

The saturated purple-colored 1989 La Mouline is an explosively rich wine, with its profound perfume of violets, black raspberries, and creamy, toasty new oak. Very full-bodied, with a dreamy opulence, gobs of fruit, an unctuous texture, and powerful finish, this wine manages to balance intensity with great elegance. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. Last tasted 7/96.Robert Parker | 98 RPSaturated deep red. Roasted redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco and warm earth on the nose, along with an exhilarating component of exotic spices; this reminded me of the extraordinary '89 Haut-Brion and La Mission. Thick, dense, huge and sweet but with excellent verve. A fleshy La Mouline that's packed with flavor. Finishes extremely long and sweet, with substantial ripe, chewy tannins.Vinous Media | 95 VMVelvety, concentrated and beautifully balanced. The raspberry flavor and vanilla oak marry seamlessly and ride effortlessly over rich tannins. An ager; try in 2000.--Guigal Côte-Rôtie vertical. 500 cases made. — TMWine Spectator | 95 WS

I’ve been lucky enough to drink probably a case of the 1990 Hermitage La Chapelle, and it’s always either rated pure perfection or just off that magical number. On this occasion, it tasted like a newly released wine and offered incredible purity and freshness in its crème de cassis, crushed rocks, spring flowers, chocolate, and smoke meat aromas and flavors. Deep, brilliantly concentrated, yet also elegant and seamless, it’s just now starting to show hints of secondary aromas and is going to be incredibly long-lived. One of the greatest Hermitages ever made, life is too short not to drink this once in your life!Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDJaboulet’s Hermitage La Chapelle 1961, 1978 and 1990 are considered to be among the greatest wines ever made in the Rhône Valley. The 1990 was sourced from Les Bessards, Le Méal and Les Rocoules, with the vines at the time between 40 and 60 years old. The grapes were hand-harvested, destemmed and macerated for three to four weeks, then matured in barrel for 15-18 months, 20% new wood. It’s still amazingly dark in colour, with an immediately intense, savoury expression on the nose reminiscent of beef stock. Dried roses and roasted beef bones come through on the medium- to full-bodied palate, but there’s also still fruit, not yet dried out at all. There’s a touch of mint on the finish and a prickle of furry tannins. This still has a good sense of density and drive - an extraordinary wine with a reputation that’s fully deserved. Drinking Window 2019 - 2050Decanter | 100 DECThe 1990 La Chapelle is the sexy and opulent. I had the 1990 at the Jaboulet tasting, and again out of a double magnum three months ago. On both occasions it was spectacular, clearly meriting a three-digit score. The modern day equivalent of the 1961, it deserves all the attention it has garnered.The color remains an opaque purple, with only a slight pink at the edge. Spectacular aromatics offer up aromas of incense, smoke, blackberry fruit, cassis, barbecue spice, coffee, and a touch of chocolate. As it sits in the glass, additional nuances of pepper and grilled steak emerge. There is extraordinary freshness for such a mammoth wine in addition to abundant tannin, an amazing 60-second finish, and a level of glycerin and thick, fleshy texture that have to be tasted to be believed.Despite its youthfulness, the 1990 La Chapelle is lovely to drink, although it will be even better with another 5-6 years of cellaring; it should age for 35-40+ years. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050.Robert Parker | 100 RPGorgeous aromas of dark berry, dried meat, dried berry, game, wet earth and licorice. Floral. Full body with a wonderful texture of dried fruits, spices and berries. Very dense and muscular with wonderful balance and length. Dense and intense. Blockbuster style.James Suckling | 98 JSAs expected from this ideal vintage, this ’90 is sensational. Inky in color and solidly anchored in its [i]terroir[n], it springs to life with a symphony of flavors, from mineral to wet earth and blackberry. Marvelous balance among fruit, acidity and smooth tannins. Delicious now, but can hold.--La Chapelle vertical. Drink now through 2025. 9,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSRhȏne lovers were out in full force on this night. Sadly, I only got to taste a handful of the wines being passed around. Still, these were four of the greatest wines I have ever tasted. The 1990 La Chapelle held its own in this grouping, and then some. The purity of the fruit and the wine’s finish were mind-bending.Antonio Galloni | 96 AG

The 1999 Cote Rotie la Mouline is straight-up awesome on all accounts. Drinking beautifully, with explosive aromas and flavors of blackberry, smoked meats, pepper and exotic flowers, this puppy hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration and a seamless, sexy and oh, so fine texture that is the hallmark of this cuvee. This is another wine that will continue to evolve gracefully, yet I’ve been lucky enough to have it multiple times recently, and when a bottle is drinking this good, don’t miss it by always waiting for another day.One of the reference point estates for top quality wines in the world today, the family run Guigal operation was created in 1946 by Etienne Guigal. Today, Etienne’s son, Marcel, and his son Philippe, are firmly in control here, and are without a doubt producing some of the most singular, sought after wines in the world. Due to the size of this tasting, I’ll keep my comments short, but the incredible quality coming from this operation is astounding, and a tasting here is always one of the highlights of any trip through the region. Furthermore, while a lot is said about the extended oak aging regime here, I don’t know anyone who tastes mature examples of these wines on a regular basis that still has any doubts about the genius going on here. In short, these single vineyard (and their blends as well) Cote Roties are some of the greatest wines money can buy. For this tasting (which, with the Guigals, is always a large one!), we focused on their Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospice release, and then three of their Cote Roties, starting with the classic Brune et Blonde, then the Chateau d’Ampuis, and finishing with their single vineyard La Mouline.Looking first at their Saint Joseph Vignes des Hospices release, it comes all from the incredibly steep (and picturesque) vineyard perched just above the town of Tournon. The exposure here (which is critical for Saint Joseph as the more southern facing the plot, the warmer the site is) is mostly east facing and the soils are pure granite (identical to the decomposed granite found in the Les Bessards lieu-dit on Hermitage Hills). Compared to the Saint Joseph lieu-dit, which has a slightly more southern exposure, harvest here is always 5-7 days later.Moving north to Côte Rôtie, the Guigal’s Brune et Blonde is their entry level release that comes from a mix of vineyards, most of which are estate. It drinks beautifully on release and has a solid 15-20 years of longevity in top vintages.Stepping up over the Brune et Blonde, the Cote Rotie Chateau d’Ampuis is named after the Chateau d’Ampuis estate (which lies in the town of Ampuis, right up along the Rhone River, and was purchased by the Guigal’s in 1995) and is a blend of their top estate vineyards. Coming from La Garde, Le Clos, Grande-Plantee, Pommiere, Pavillon, Le Moulin and La Viria, it spends close to four years in new French oak (handled just like the single vineyard releases) and there’s roughly 30,000 bottles produced in each vintage. While the single vineyard releases get all the buzz, this is isn’t far behind in quality, especially in recent vintages, and can represent an incredible value.We finished the tasting with a vertical of La Mouline. One of the three single vineyard Cote Roties produced, this cuvee comes all from the La Mouline lieu-dit that’s located in the more western (close to the middle actually) side of appellation. For simplicities sake, you could say it’s in the Cote Blonde part of the region, but in reality, Cote Rotie is much more complex and diverse. Due to its exposure, this vineyard is always the first of the three single vineyards to be harvest, and also contains some of the oldest vines on the estate. Fermented using pump overs (as opposed to punch downs for the La Torque and submersion cap on the La Landonne), it’s cofermented with varying degrees of Viognier, which in most vintages, ends up being around 10% of the blend. Like the Chateau d’Ampuis and the other two single vineyard releases, it sees close to four years in 100% new French oak, of which every trace integrates after a few years in bottle. It’s always the most approachable of the single vineyard releases, and is ready to drink at an earlier stage. For example, the 1999 La Mouline is gloriously mature, while the 1989 La Torque is still an infant. Nevertheless, as the 1978 reviewed here attests to, it has no problem evolving for decades (although I don’t recommend holding bottles that long). In short, this was a flight of Côte Rôties I’ll not forget anytime soon!Robert Parker | 100 RPThis offers a stunning depth of fruit, with a nearly endless beam of raspberry ganache and linzer torte woven with very alluring incense, truffle and mesquite notes. There's superb minerality buried deep on the long, flashy finish. Still has some surprising tannins to shed, though this is not as outwardly grippy as the Landonne. Contains 11 percent Viognier.--1999 Côte-Rôtie non-blind retrospective. Drink now through 2030. 415 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSBright deep ruby. Cassis, roasted herbs, licorice and cooked tomato on the nose. Lush and thick, but with strong minerality contributing to the impression of grip. Superconcentrated fruit here. Suave, expanding finish goes on and on. Offers great long-term aging potential.Vinous Media | 96-99 VMThis is a less famous vintage for the Northern Rhone winery but showing beautifully now. Aromas of dried fruits, smoked meat and balsamic. Full body, round and velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. Just right now. A savory and juicy wine. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 1999 Cote Rotie La Turque reveals notes of toasty vanilla and espresso in addition to Asian spices, mocha, pepper, blackberries, creosote, and roasted meats. The exotic perfume is followed by a wine with phenomenal intensity, sweet, well-integrated tannin, huge body, and loads of concentrated fruit. It is a tour de force in winemaking. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.What is so remarkable about this cuvee is its tremendous layers of flavor, awesome texture, and perfect balance. This is an astonishing offering from one of the world’s greatest winemakers.Robert Parker | 100 RPOffers terrific purity and density, with amazingly lush, creamy texture and waves of still very youthful blackberry and fig compote, mocha, black tea, sweet ganache and graphite. Seamless through the superlong finish, the combination of power and precision is rather amazing. Contains 7 percent Viognier.--1999 Côte-Rôtie non-blind retrospective. Drink now through 2030. 400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 99 WSFull bright ruby. Nose boasts great aromatic lift and urgency, with the classic griotte cherry of La Turque plus bitter chocolate and licorice. Less complex in the mouth today than La Mouline but precise, pure and extremely primary (especially given the fact that it’s been in barrel for a solid three years). Best today on the palate-staining finish. This is scheduled to be bottled in January of 2003 but probably could support even longer elevage.Vinous Media | 96+ VM

Made from fruit coming predominantly from the Barossa Valley this year (97%) and containing 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Grange has been added to my list of favorite recent vintages. Deep garnet-purple colored, it’s still a little youthfully mute, offering notes of warm cherries, black currants, anise, coffee and toast with underlying hints of soy, yeast extract, black olives and Indian spices. Tight-knit and solidly structured on the medium to full-bodied palate, the concentrated fruit is densely coiled around the firm grainy tannins and very crisp acidity at this stage, but promises something very special in the years to come. It finishes very long, complex and layered with the cedar poking through the fruit purity. Patience is required for this vintage; it should begin opening out around 2016 and drink to 2030+.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPBeautifully aromatic, with scents of blueberry, plum, cherry, coffee and toasted walnut rising from the glass with intensity. After a hit of tannins the rich, focused fruit flavors take over, showing glints of pepper, mint and cocoa and lingering effortlessly. Best from 2016 through 2030. 2,000 cases imported. — HSWine Spectator | 98 WSContaining 98% Shiraz and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new American oak hogsheads for 18 months, the 2006 Penfolds Grange is tightly wound and dense, possessing a core of smoky black fruits, lots of oak, espresso roast, dried spice, and mineral characteristics on both the nose and palate. Powerful, rich, and beautifully balanced on the palate, with a serious, concentrated, medium to full bodied feel, crisp acids, and a very long, tannic and structured finish, this age-worthy beauty needs a solid 5-8 years in the cellar to fully integrate its components, and should have a very long drink window.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JD(98% shiraz and 2% cabernet sauvignon): Deep ruby. Highly aromatic nose offers black raspberry, cherry pit, potpourri and minerals. Dense, lush and sweet but very energetic, offering spicy red and dark berry, dark chocolate, rose pastille and licorice flavors complemented by spicy, sweet oak. Shows bitter chocolate and cherry-cola nuances on the extremely persistent, spice-accented finish. This should be approachable on the young side.Vinous Media | 94 VMNot quite the massive monster that is the 2004 Grange, the 2006 is still no shrinking violet. It’s full bodied, muscular and extracted, and while the flavors veer toward espresso and dark chocolate, there’s also a ribbon of raspberry fruit running through the wine from start to long, dusty finish. Drink 2015–2025, and probably beyond.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEA balanced and intense red, with sliced meat, blackberries and spices. Full body, with silky and refine tannins and hints of new wood. Sweet tobacco and plums. A little shy now. Give it three to four years.James Suckling | 93 JS

A perfect wine, the 2009 Ermitage Le Pavillon (1,093 cases) boasts a black/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of acacia flowers, blackberries, blueberries, roasted meats, creme de cassis, truffles, graphite, powdered rock and new saddle leather. Extremely dense, noble and pure, this monumental Ermitage is built for 50-100 years of cellaring.As I have written many times, all of these wines are produced from rigidly cultivated, bio-dynamically managed vineyards. That has been the rule since Michel Chapoutier first took over this firm in the late 1980s. Now, with over 20 years of biodynamic viticulture under his belt, Chapoutier remains committed to this rather radical style of organic farming. He believes the effect is to reduce rot in damp, rainy vintages. Moreover, he has observed that after 10 to 15 years of biodynamic farming, the natural acids tend to be more vivid and the overall pH of the soils (as well as the wines) has dropped. Controversial, outspoken and brutally candid, Chapoutier, who suffers no fools, continues to admirably produce wines that are among the finest in the world and potentially the longest lived. Refusing to acidify, chaptalize, or touch the wines in any way, he clearly wants every wine to capture the very essence of its terroir and vintage personality. In this, he succeeds remarkably. No one has made more effort in resurrecting the once-forgotten backwater appellation of St.-Peray than Michel Chapoutier. Working in conjunction with the famed Michelin three-star restaurant family, the Pics, Chapoutier has produced a sensational 2010 Gamme Pic and Chapoutier St.-Peray, and the first single-vineyard St.-Peray, the 2010 Lieu-Dit Peyrolles St.-Peray, which is one of the greatest St.-Perays I have ever tasted. This appellation is all steep hillside vineyards planted in pure, decomposed granite soils, not dissimilar from Hermitage, but they are located on the other side of the Rhône, facing the city of Valence. The single-vineyard wines, or selections parcellaires, 2010 whites are absolutely amazing, with production levels ranging from 300 to 700 or 800 cases of each cuvee. These wines are for true connoisseurs, as they are expensive and meant for long, long evolutions, but they capture the essence of a vintage and terroir as well as any wines in the world. As for the selections parcellaires of 2010 reds, Chapoutier likes this vintage almost as much as 2009, but feels it is very different, emphasizing more acidity and minerality, whereas 2009 is a combination of pure power, concentration and great potential longevity. Michel Chapoutier considers the 2009s, which are all in bottle, to be among the greatest wines he has ever produced, equaling his finest wines of 2006, 2003, 1999, 1990 and 1989 (his debut year).Robert Parker | 100 RPComing all from the granite soils of the Les Bessards lieu-dit and the most massive and rich of the lineup, the 2009 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon, aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak, delivers a decadent, yet vivacious and riveting bouquet of creamy raspberries, crème de cassis, crushed flowers, charcoal, and grilled meats. Incredibly rich and full on the nose, the palate follows suit and possesses a full-bodied, thick texture, thrilling levels of concentration, and gorgeous underlying acidity and minerality that keeps this lively and fresh. Absolutely blockbuster stuff and this brilliantly pure, impeccably balanced Hermitage needs 10-12 years of bottle age, and will evolve gracefully for longer than I’d care to estimate.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDThis has a very alluring ganache edge, which melds nicely into the core of crushed plum, blackberry and currant notes. Lots of anise and briar emerge on the back end, along with ample toasted spice and incense. The very long finish has riveting acidity, while the fruit and ganache notes echo on and on. Dense but precise. Best from 2015 through 2035. 1,093 cases madeWine Spectator | 97 WSOpaque purple. Red and dark berry preserves and candied flowers on the seductively perfumed nose. Juicy, deeply pitched black raspberry and blueberry flavors are complemented by notes of violet, rose and licorice. Offers an uncanny blend of richness and vivacity, with a seamless texture and no excess fat. Closes on a peppery note, with persistent florality. I find this highly seductive wine surprisingly open right now.Vinous Media | 95 VM