Marc Rollin’s events are truly unique and interesting. This was no exception. The first wine, a sparkling, was full of apple, yeast, and some floral notes that all followed through on the palate. It was 75% Muscat à Petits Grains and 25% Clairette. Quite lovely. This was followed by the white flight. The Saint-Péray, 95% Marsanne/5% Roussane, was very smoky and oaky on the nose and on the palate. A number of people enjoyed it as an easy-going wine with a balanced mouthfeel. The Condrieu had a nose of Vaseline, white peach, apricot, tea leaves, and pumpernickel bread among other things! Peach, Vaseline, and mineral notes came through on the palate. It was an unusual Viognier! The Château-Grillet, another Viognier, had more burnt rubber on the nose than the Indy 500. Apparently this is a wine that needs at least a full decade before it’s ready to drink.

The Tavel was full of strawberry. It was dry and fresh with good acidity. Some thought it lovely—a great summer wine or perfect for those depressing and freezing cold days of February—and others thought that the fruit didn’t really follow through on the palate.

The first wine of the Mediterranean red flight, the Lirac, was closed initially, but the aromas of earth, licorice, spice, and black fruit eventually presented themselves. Earthy notes, spice, blackberry fruit, licorice, and good acid (but green tannins) came out on the palate. The Vacqueyras had some notes of earth and rubber, black fruit, licorice, pepper, and smoke. These aromas followed through on the palate along with drying tannins. The Château la Nerthe was very fruity with some peppery spice. On the palate the jammy fruit followed through along with some vanilla and heat. The Gigondas was enjoyed by quite a number of tasters. There were aromas of earth, bacon/meat, pepper, menthol, and smoke, which were also apparent on the palate. I also got some Indian spices and heavy tannins. The Château la Nerthe Cuvée des Cadettes was the favourite of the flight. There was lots of meat (bacon) and cedar on the sweet fruit nose. The palate was all about the meat, cedar, and sweet fruit. It was described as having a “Parker palate” (too much sweet fruit and not enough other complex flavours) and being very approachable (like a golden retriever)—but then again, it was the favourite of the flight!

The last flight was a big flight. All of the wines were enjoyed by almost everyone present, but there was a clear favourite. The Saint-Joseph was like Christmas in a bottle—spices, pine, Christmas cake—on both the nose and the palate. It was very wellbalanced and had a nice long finish. The Crozes-Hermitage was very meaty with lots of sweet cedar. These followed through on the palate, but some though it didn’t have quite enough structure. The Cornas again had some of those meaty/bacon notes, jammy fruit, and violets, which all showed up on the palate along with black fruit and good ripe tannins. The Côte-Rotie had pepper, soy sauce, black fruit, and violets. There was lots of pepper on the palate with acidity in the finish. Unfortunately, the Domaine Jean-Luc Colombo Hermitage, Cuvée le Rouet Rouge, 1999 at $75.00 was corked and was not served at the tasting.

Thanks Marc for another great tasting!

Clairette de Die, Union des producteurs de vins fins du Diois, Cuvée Titus, 7% alc. $22.40

Saint-Péray, Louis Bernard, 2002, 13% alc. $17.95

Condrieu, Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin, Cuvée la Loye, 2002, 13% alc. $60.00

Château-Grillet, Neyret-Gachet, 2000, 13.5% alc. $89.00

Tavel, Château d’Aqueria, 2004, 13% alc. $18.95

Lirac, Château d’Aqueria, 2001, 13.5% alc. $18.95

Vacqueyras, Domaine de Montvac, Cuvée Variation, 2000, 15% alc. $35.75

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château la Nerthe, 2001, 13% alc. $49.95

Gigondas, Moulin de la Gardette, Cuvée Ventabren, 1998, 13.5% alc. $45.00

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Château la Nerthe, Cuvée des Cadettes, 1999, 14% alc. $119.00

Crozes-Hermitage, La Maison Guyot, Cuvée le Millepertuis, 2001, 12.5% alc. $21.85

Cornas, Domaine Courbis, Cuvée Champebrose, 2001, 13.5% alc. $46.00

Saint-Joseph, Domaine Chèze, Cuvée des Anges, 2000, 12.5% alc. $47.50

Côte-Rôtie, Domaine Jamet, 2001, 12% alc. $73.00