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10<br />
Lot # <strong>Wine</strong> Year M D Comment<br />
Cellar Offering 165<br />
3429 Costières de Nîmes, 2005 8 9 Good winemaking and a fine exposure in the vineyards has<br />
Domaine de la Roche<br />
3430 – 3438<br />
RHÔNE 2004 VINTAGE<br />
made a far better wine here than might have been expected.<br />
This is a family estate, with two sisters making and marketing<br />
the wines under the ever watchful eye of their mother.<br />
It was during a visit to the Berthet-Rayne vineyards that the fine quality of the vintage made its character apparent. After a vintage<br />
(2003) of towering heat, when it is said that thousands of elderly people across Europe succumbed to the high temperatures,<br />
2004 was far cooler. The vines, fully ripened during the summer of 2003, were ready, willing and able to carry a full harvest of<br />
well formed flower rosettes and later, after a still flowering period, a full crop. Many suppliers to Opimian, knowing how carefully<br />
we seek out growers who are not over greedy and who restrict their crop by summer pruning, passed through their vines two or<br />
three times, cutting out any imperfectly formed bunches. The wines were all beautifully balanced, much less full-bodied than the<br />
preceding two years, but their harmony was close to perfect. The wines are now fully mature and can be enjoyed, indeed should<br />
be opened and enjoyed, before 2014.<br />
3435 Crozes Hermitage, Domaine de Murinais 2004 8 9 Tough as an old snake skin, but rather more attractive, it asks<br />
the question whether it will ever become supple. Try and test,<br />
bottle by bottle - some of those tasted have been perfectly<br />
delightful.<br />
3436 Saint Joseph, Domaine Gilles Flacher 2004 8 9 Weighty, refined. Could do with a little more fruit, but it is an<br />
honest and good sample of the region and vintage.<br />
3438 Condrieu, Domaine Stephane Montez 2004 10 10 Use within the coming year, it is getting oily-flavoured, yet rather thin.<br />
3452 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot, Cornellana, 2005 10 10 A wine with potential for longer aging. All the parts are in<br />
Founders’ Choice place to provide ripeness, fruit, tannic balance and nice fixed<br />
fruit acidity. Very long, fleshy palate.<br />
3455 Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Reserve, 2004 8 9 A nuclear attack of tannin and fruit mushrooming out of the<br />
Cornellana glass to fill the nose with firm, ripe, red berry and black plum<br />
aromas. Powerful in the mouth, and though it is now mature, it<br />
does not need to be opened yet.<br />
3456 Carmenère, Barrel Reserve, Cornellana 2005 8 8 Like many of the examples of this vine we have offered over<br />
many years, this, from the wine makers of Cornellana, is<br />
a beauty. Full-bodied, velvet flavours, no hard edges, well<br />
balanced and long in the palate. A perfect reason to look<br />
for this wine in future Cellar Offerings.<br />
3457 Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah 2005 8 9 Great wine, full-bodied, sturdy and still tannic with an oozing<br />
Barrel Reserve, Cornellana weight of fruit supporting the bold flavours.<br />
3467 Cabernet Sauvignon, Casa Nueva 2004 8 9<br />
These four wines all come from the family estate<br />
3468<br />
3469<br />
Carmenère, Casa Nueva<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon,<br />
Reserva, Casa Nueva<br />
2005<br />
2004<br />
8<br />
9<br />
9<br />
9<br />
vineyards of Roberto Echeverria. It is a “hands on” operation with<br />
each member of the family concentrating on their own area of<br />
expertise, from sales and marketing to vineyard development and<br />
winery operations. Nothing comes before quality, and this driving<br />
3470 Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc,<br />
Special Selection, Casa Nueva<br />
2005 10 10 philosophy can be recognized in the steady progress that all the<br />
Casa Nuevo wines make towards maturity.<br />
3473 Merlot Expresión Reserva, Villard Estate 2004 9 10 Well made example of French style winemaking, but proudly<br />
showing off the lustre, full colour and body of Chile’s fine<br />
growing conditions. Drink before 2014.<br />
3477 Carmenère, Terra Nova 2004 10 10 One cannot ignore the remarkable quality of this grape, the<br />
Carmenère. Overlooked and almost forgotten for a hundred<br />
years, it has emerged as one of the finest New World reds.<br />
Traverso’s wine is a little lighter than some, but nonetheless,<br />
it is a full and robust wine.<br />
3480 Reserva de la Familia, Roberto Echeverria, 2001 8 8 No hurry. Fine winemaking demonstrated by the orchestration<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon, Founders’ Choice of the ripe and full-bodied components. We hold this<br />
winemaker and all his wines in very high esteem.<br />
<strong>Wine</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>2010</strong>
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