Mimik: Good picks there - both the Domaine La Barroche and Clos St.-Jean portfolios are stunners in '05. The sleeper pick is the Vieilles Vignes from Clos St.-Jean, as the price of the other cuvées is a bit wacky now...

As for Domaine du Pégaü, there is no Capo cuvée in '05, but Laurence Féraud has held back juice for a Cuvée Laurence (usually around 500 cases, same juice as the Reservée but just aged longer in foudre). The '05 Réservée is an excellent, but not truly great Pégaü in the mold of the '03/'04 duo.

One I always buy is the Domaine des Senechaux. Love the flavor profile and structure. Bois du Boursan is also another favorite.

Thanks James!! I might pick up an 2004 Barroche Pure as I've liked most of my 2004 CDPs so far. Much more accessible, and lighter on the palate(ie more acidity and purity).

Domaine de la Mordoree, and all that my friend Fabrice Delorme of the Domaine will allow me to buy (not that much actually). Problem is, I've been doing just that for the past three years, along with other wonderful Rhones, and now I can't figure out how to get it back to the U.S. Honestly, I've tried everything I can think of with no success. Any suggestions, referrals etc. that will enable me to start drinking the wine instead of dreaming about it would be greatly appreciated. Currently I have about 250 bottles in my wife's uncle's cellar near CNP, Lirac, Tavel, etc, all packaged and ready to ship. Help please!

Virgil: You need to find an import company that will do this for you. They exist. They typically handle all the paper work, label approval etc, and then ship the wines via container. You'll be charged by the case. It isn't cheap, but the end result is you'll wind up paying less than retail here to have wines you bought directly from the cellar delivered to your door...

I always buy Clos de Papes (when there is allocation and stock!), Vieux Telegraphe and Beaucastel. So far I have about 15 bottles of '05 Beaucastel and nothing else (yet).

quote:

Originally posted by Virgil McCaleb:
Domaine de la Mordoree, and all that my friend Fabrice Delorme of the Domaine will allow me to buy (not that much actually). Problem is, I've been doing just that for the past three years, along with other wonderful Rhones, and now I can't figure out how to get it back to the U.S. Honestly, I've tried everything I can think of with no success. Any suggestions, referrals etc. that will enable me to start drinking the wine instead of dreaming about it would be greatly appreciated. Currently I have about 250 bottles in my wife's uncle's cellar near CNP, Lirac, Tavel, etc, all packaged and ready to ship. Help please!

Try vineinternational.com (VININT)
(not the hunger organization...)

They may be UK only (export) but may also have insight for you.

quote:

You need to find an import company that will do this for you

In the phone book look under "freight forwarding".

Thank you James. I admire your work and look forward to each Rhone update and take copies to Fabrice Delorme.

I have been trying to find an importer/freight forwarder who will ship the wine. I have a good friend who owns an import and distribution business in Texas who was all set to include my wine in her next container. At the last minute her agent in France refused to pick the wine up because of the Domaine's exclusive contract with another importer for the U.S. Not certain if they thought the wine was for resale or the quantity was too small for them to handle.

Updated list:

Domaine Ferrand
Clos de l'Oratoire - awesome QPR! (but closing down right now)
Grand Veneur - reg. cuvee
Mas de Boislauzon - reg. cuvee
Olivier Hillaire - reg. cuvee
Clos des Papes
Vieux Donjon(incl. mag. that was found for $130)
Autard - "Cote Ronde"
Vieux Telegraphe

quote:

Originally posted by Brashley:
Updated list:

Domaine Ferrand
Clos de l'Oratoire - awesome QPR! (but closing down right now)
Grand Veneur - reg. cuvee
Mas de Boislauzon - reg. cuvee
Olivier Hillaire - reg. cuvee
Clos des Papes
Vieux Donjon(incl. mag. that was found for $130)
Autard - "Cote Ronde"
Vieux Telegraphe

Nice lineup, Brash. When are we gettin' together to grab dinner and pop a bottle?

quote:

Originally posted by dannyk8232:

Nice lineup, Brash. When are we gettin' together to grab dinner and pop a bottle?

Anytime after May 9th (my last final) would love to set-up another off-line. we are always down for a CdP offline! ... or any other offline

quote:

Originally posted by Brashley:

quote:

Originally posted by dannyk8232:

Nice lineup, Brash. When are we gettin' together to grab dinner and pop a bottle?

Anytime after May 9th (my last final) would love to set-up another off-line. we are always down for a CdP offline! ... or any other offline

Hey. gimme your email

quote:

Originally posted by dannyk8232:

quote:

Originally posted by Brashley:

quote:

Originally posted by dannyk8232:

Nice lineup, Brash. When are we gettin' together to grab dinner and pop a bottle?

Anytime after May 9th (my last final) would love to set-up another off-line. we are always down for a CdP offline! ... or any other offline

Hey. gimme your email

email me at this email, and I'll email you back with the email address you should use thereafter:
hot_nicks21 at hotmail.com

Damn, where's W+A in these instances?

hot_nicks21?

Boy you think alot of yourself...LOL

quote:

Originally posted by Chilepepper:
Damn, where's W+A in these instances?

hot_nicks21?

Boy you think alot of yourself...LOL

yeah yeah...laugh it up...friend set this up for me years ago... "hot", "nicks" and "21" are all very stale, very overplayed inside jokes ... a large reason why this is the email I distribute publicly.

soooo...anyone bought any '05 CdP lately?

Many months later after Parker's score I am still...slightly confused about the Clos St Jean Deus Ex Machina 05... I have never seen a wine increase in price by %200-300 in a matter of 2 months. It started around the $90's and now can be found for $350-$450...if you can even find it. I managed to get about 13 bottles before the price increase but am too timid to even try one yet. Anyone out there with some good/bad things about the 05 Machina. James, can the price really go past $400 or has it probably peaked until only a few are left in existence?

James, if you're out there, I had to ask.

There seem to be two distinct schools of thought on the '05 Pegau. I've been talking to a set of tasters that pop and pour, and they've been giving me the characteristics of a green, unripe, restrained, hard red. But a couple of them revisited the same wine the next day and claimed it was far more open, lush, aromatic and expressive, and was on par with the '03.

I hope to try this for myself when my bottles show up next week.

When you tasted the wine, what were the circumstances?

bryanjame: I assume you bought the wine because you like to drink it? In that case, it's current value shouldn't affect your feeling on pulling the cork...with 13 bottles, you could drink one a year and watch it evolve beautifully...as for my feelings on the wine, my official review is already on the record...I don't really like to go beyond that...frankly, there's no reason to chase a trophy wine when its price far, far outstrips its quality vis a vis other wines...yes, Clos St.-Jean is making some terrific stuff these days - and the Vieilles Vignes is the sleeper of the portfolio...$40 and just baby steps behind the other cuvées in terms of quality...

MeritageMan: 'Green' is not a word I'd use to describe the '05 Pegau (again, my official review is already on the record, no sense rehashing it here). It's not as dynamic a wine as the '03/'04 combo, but it's still easily outstanding. It is one to lay away...

Thank you James, I hope some day I can bring myself to pop an 05 Machina...but definitely agree with your thoughts on the Vielles Vignes. Can't wait to try it again in a few years. Anyone out there have any thoughts on the Vieux Lazaret 05 Exceptionelle? More importantly, I pre-ordered some 06 Clos Des Papes for a somewhat reasonable price but only have hopes of being as good as last year...anyone have a chance to pre-taste this?

Thanks James. Good to hear, since I've always been a big fan of the Pegau style. Now the hard part is waiting on my little mini-vertical to mature ...

A question I can't seem to get an answer to...I always wondered why the Cotes du Rhone wines have such a short drinking window? Many of them have the same components as a CDP which can have up to a 35 year drinking window. Almost all the CDR say to drink within 2-3 years. Are the CDR ageworthy past 3 years? and why the super short window for a usually heavy tannic red?

I am by no means an expert, but I do know that Cotes du Rhone is a very large appellation compared to Chateauneuf du Pape. In addition, I believe that the yields are much higher and the vines are usually located on less prestigious sites. Finally, the appellation rules are not as stringent as the ones in CNDP. As a result, I would anticipate that these factors have an impact on wine quality and ageability.

I am sure others can give you a better answer, but I thought I would take a stab at it.

Lower alcohols (from lower ripeness), less depth and structure, are the reasons Cotes du Rhones don't typically last as long as CdPs...I think most should be drunk up in their first 2-3 years of life, though there are a few exceptions - the Rasteau from Beaurenard, Coudoulet from Beaucastel, Cuvée Syrah from Fonsalette...

<bump>

Well, I failed to get any Chapoutier, Ex Machina or Cristia Vieilles Vignes last week so the 2005 CdP buying may be coming to an end. My list

Clos des Papes
Vieux Donjon
Coulon Beaurenard
Janasse Chaupin
Vieux Telegraphe, Le Crau White
Saint-Prefert, Charles Guiraud
Saint-Prefert, Reserve Auguste Favier
Vacheron-Pouzin, Domaine du Caillou, Les Quartz
Domaine de Grand Veneur, Les origines
Daumen Pere & Fils, La Vieille Julienne
Domaine de la Charbonniere, Vieilles Vignes
Domaine de la Charbonniere, Les Hautes Brusquieres
La Crau de Ma Mere
Cuvee du Vatican, Reserve Sixtine
Tardieu-Laurent, Cuvee Speciale
Tardieu-Laurent, Vieilles Vignes