
The Region - Northern Rhone
This is a legendary wine region located south of Burgundy and Beaujolais. Specifically, the steeply sloped vineyards of Cote Rotie. These legendary hillside vineyards are so steep the vines must be hand-picked by workers secured to the hillside, then each treasured grape cluster is dropped into a basket on the back of a mule waiting in the next row down.
Tasting Notes
I often disagree with the Wine Spectator, and this is no exception. Their score of 92 for this wine is prime evidence that their supply of rating points over at the Spectator must have been in shorter supply than an optimistic economist.
This is a beautiful wine that will turn any ocassion into a great memory. Look for black cherries and red berries that surf down rolling waves of mineral, dark chocolate and black olive. Despite the old world origins of this wine, it is quite fruit forward, sporting surprisingly fine-grained tannins for a wine of this youthfulness. A telltale sense of terroir lurks within this wine, making it unique among its Cote Rotie peers.
For this wine, the Gangloff's traditionally use 100% Syrah, choosing to employ more new oak to soften the tannic grip and add some of the sweetness lent by the floral Viognier in La Barbarine.
The Vintage
2005 was an outstanding year for lovers of Rhone wines, as it was in many winemaking regions. I don't know if the dry conditions meet the classic definition of a drought, but summer rainfall in the Northern Rhone has been well below average since 2002, and this year was no exception.
The summer was long and hot, the only relief coming in the form of the Mistral wind, which cooled at night and provided sufficient diurnal variation to preserve the day's concentrated ripeness with the night's adequate acidity. A very dark and powerful wine.
The grapes were completely destemmed prior to fermentation in stainless steel tank. Natural yeasts and very little SO2 were used for fermentation before the wine was matured for 23 months in oak barriques - for their premier crus, Yves and Mathilde employ 30% - 50% new barrels, with the remainder 2 - 4 years old. Likewise, the wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined as is their custom.
Only 290 cases made. Very limited availability.
Dave the Wine Merchant
Dave@SidewaysWineClub.com
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