This week, we’re featuring the wines of the Rhône Valley, with an emphasis on the Northern Rhône wines of Patrick Jasmin. We’re very excited to offer a vertical on successive nights of Jasmin’s Côte-Rôtie 2010, 2007 and 2006.
Patrick Jasmin has been making the wine at the domaine since 1999, taking over the reins after his father Robert’s unexpected death. Jasmin tells a story of feeling somewhat lost during those early days. Upon tasting a grape near harvest time in the fall of 1999, Patrick was trying to gauge how close the grapes were to harvest, and felt like the grape tasted like a prune or a plum. He was very uncertain of what the grape was telling him, so he asked local legend Marius Gentaz-Dervieux to try one, and he just said “it reminds me of 1947!”* One could imagine Patrick as a young man, having lost his dad, trying to carry on his work and feeling unease about all the decisions to be made. If it takes a village, and it does, then it’s a good thing that village had a Marius Gentaz-Dervieux to consult!
Patrick destems the grapes, and does separate fermentations on his 11 different plots spread across 8 different lieux-dit. The most famous of these is Mollard in the Côte Blonde, a beautiful vineyard site. Jasmin includes about 4-5% of Viognier, which is co-fermented with the Syrah, true to traditional winemaking in the appellation. Jasmin’s wines are polished without being technical, and show real balance and sense of place. Happily, he has access to windier areas higher up on the Côte, and his wines show the finesse and fineness of these cooler sites.
In addition to these Patrick Jasmin offerings, we’ll be serving a Double-Magnum of Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009 this Friday, as well as a delicious Vinsobres from Chaume Arnaud from the 2000 vintage, beautiful Saint-Péray for Bernard Gripa, and of course, Cornas ‘Chaillot’ 2012 from Franck Balthazar.
*Facts and anecdotes adapted from John Livingstone-Learmonth’s wonderful book, “The Wines of the Northern Rhône” published by University of California Press.
This week, we’re featuring the wines of the Rhône Valley, with an emphasis on the Northern Rhône wines of Patrick Jasmin. We’re very excited to offer a vertical on successive nights of Jasmin’s Côte-Rôtie 2010, 2007 and 2006.
Patrick Jasmin has been making the wine at the domaine since 1999, taking over the reins after his father Robert’s unexpected death. Jasmin tells a story of feeling somewhat lost during those early days. Upon tasting a grape near harvest time in the fall of 1999, Patrick was trying to gauge how close the grapes were to harvest, and felt like the grape tasted like a prune or a plum. He was very uncertain of what the grape was telling him, so he asked local legend Marius Gentaz-Dervieux to try one, and he just said “it reminds me of 1947!”* One could imagine Patrick as a young man, having lost his dad, trying to carry on his work and feeling unease about all the decisions to be made. If it takes a village, and it does, then it’s a good thing that village had a Marius Gentaz-Dervieux to consult!
Patrick destems the grapes, and does separate fermentations on his 11 different plots spread across 8 different lieux-dit. The most famous of these is Mollard in the Côte Blonde, a beautiful vineyard site. Jasmin includes about 4-5% of Viognier, which is co-fermented with the Syrah, true to traditional winemaking in the appellation. Jasmin’s wines are polished without being technical, and show real balance and sense of place. Happily, he has access to windier areas higher up on the Côte, and his wines show the finesse and fineness of these cooler sites.
In addition to these Patrick Jasmin offerings, we’ll be serving a Double-Magnum of Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009 this Friday, as well as a delicious Vinsobres from Chaume Arnaud from the 2000 vintage, beautiful Saint-Péray for Bernard Gripa, and of course, Cornas ‘Chaillot’ 2012 from Franck Balthazar.
*Facts and anecdotes adapted from John Livingstone-Learmonth’s wonderful book, “The Wines of the Northern Rhône” published by University of California Press.
MONDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2010
TUESDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2007
WEDNESDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2006
THURSDAY
Chaume Arnaud
Vinsobres 2000
FRIDAY
Donjon,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From a 3-Liter Double Magnum
SATURDAY
Franck Balthazar,
Cornas ‘Chaillot’ 2012
SUNDAY
Bernard Gripa,
Saint-Péray ‘Les Pins’ 2015 MONDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2010
TUESDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2007
WEDNESDAY
Patrick Jasmin,
Côte-Rôtie 2006
THURSDAY
Chaume Arnaud
Vinsobres 2000
FRIDAY
Donjon,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From a 3-Liter Double Magnum
SATURDAY
Franck Balthazar,
Cornas ‘Chaillot’ 2012
SUNDAY
Bernard Gripa,
Saint-Péray ‘Les Pins’ 2015