1976 Jordan (first vintage)
Was a bit tight refrained at first. Lots of dried red fruit and cedar on the nose. Seemed a bit tired but definitely still approachable. Lots of dried cranberries and Forrest floor, eucalyptus, tobacco. Everything has moved to the tertiary flavors but still some good life. Ended up decanting to experiment. It opened a bit more but didn't express much.
1998 Thierry Allemand Reynard
Immediately on opening it's like walking into a barn cellar. You get that great funk, the hay, the cool damp air, dried meats. Extremely savory, smoked olives, gun powder, slight floral notes, really had some grip. Good amount of black pepper and a bit of mineral notes. Really takes you on a wild ride.
Didn't decant and slow ox'd, enjoyed over a few hours. The funk slightly blew off but I was extremely pleased with this one. It be fun to see where a magnum of this is tasting right now.
by Historical_Stay_808
2 Comments
Damn that Reynard description has me drooling – walking into barn cellar is such perfect way to describe those northern Rhône wines when they’re hitting their stride. I had similar experience with older Cornas few years back and that funk you mention is just incredible when it works. Your notes about gun powder and smoked olives really capture what makes these wines so special compared to more fruit-forward stuff. Those tertiary flavors in older bottles can be hit or miss but when producer knows what they’re doing like this it really shows. Curious how long you let Jordan breathe before deciding to decant – sometimes those older Cali cabs just need more patience than we want to give them.
Great seeing you! The Reynard wad fantastic and a generous bring!