Domaine des Amouriers Vacqueyras 1999

$19.99 in Indianapolis
14% alcohol
France, Appelation Vacqueyras Controlee

The color of this one was interesting, a very deep dark ruby, almost like fresh blood in india ink (did I mention that I do some political cartooning, and that pen nibs can be very sharp?). It was also just slightly cloudy.

This is definitely not a "fruit forward" wine. If you're looking for parkerization or spoofilation, the nose will send you running. It is distinctly vegetal first, with brambles, mushroom, barnyard and a touch of tarragon, plus some wax, allbefore you start to find any fruit. There is a bit of black fruit hiding in the background, along with some black currant, but with the bottle only open an hour or so, you really have to look for it. It will be interesting to see if fruit makes more of an appearance the second night.

The first impression on the palate is grit. The second is tart fruit. Have you ever had native cherries or strawberries? They taste of cherries and strawberries, but mostly tart, very little sweet. Some sweetness is there but it seems to come more from florals than fruit, florals including violet and gardenia. Vegetals from the nose are in the palate, too - cloves, brambles, and just a bit of dirty hay from a barnyard floor. It also has gritty mouth-drying tannins. I am making it sound far worse than it is. This is a great big mouthful of wine with layers of flavors. The grit is a downside, but otherwise it works (assuming, again, you're not looking for Everclear and Welches). I am very curious to see if this comes together or drops off the map overnight. Aren't you?

Second night. It spent the night under a Vacuu-Vin closure and in the wine cellar.

The nose is, if anything even more vegetal, but more floral as well. To the herbaceous brambly smell add tarragon and some strong flowers, like magnolias and gardenias a day or two past bloom. I am still getting some wax, like, do you remember those little wax "candies" with juice inside that you used to get for Halloween, the ones that always had a waxy residue/taste? That is the wax smell. Okay, a few minutes in the glass and the smell is mellowing, the sharp herbaceous smell giving way to some meat, raw wet beef to go with tarragon and flowers.

Menthol, tarragon, that same wax and flowers open the palate. The meat is there too, perhaps a bit more bacony than beef, but not heavily smoked. Fruit is certainly more apparent the second night, blackberries, cranberries and plum skins, then cloves and pepper. It is a very interesting evolution in the mouth. Every stage has two or three tastes, which are one at a time replaced by the next, flowing all the way through from start to finish. Tannins are no longer gritty, or even dusty, though I would not go so far as to call them velvety.

Conclusion- I am surprised. Given that this was a 1999, just purchased at a wine store so probably not stored perfectly (only their top of the line stuff gets the temperature control), I expected it to fall precipitously from night one to night two, and instead it improved. This probably has a couple more years of cellar improvement in it. I am going to go back for more.

Chateau des Hautes Ribes Vacqueyras 2001

Appellation Vacqueyras Controlee, Mis en Bouteille a la Propriete. 14% alcohol, $15.98.

Half an hour after opening, the color was translucent, like an Oregon pinot, but brick red, trending strongly to orange near the rim. The nose was lovely, starting wtih coffee, then hazelnut liquor, buttered toast, and blackberries. Blackberries were clear on the palate as well, along with cassis, followed by sage and licorice, all over an underlying mushroom earthiness. Tannins did not show up until the finish, which was long, smooth and had a creamy softness.

Three hours after the bottle was opened the nose had changed. It was more obviously earthy with boatloads of chocolate. Blackberries and vanilla cream rounded it out. The three hours made a big difference on the palate, which is now far fruitier, with cherries and blackberries dominating, the mushrooms and sage now in the background. Add strawberry and caramel in the midpalate. This is a very nice wine, even lovely for the price. The finish is still soft, creamy, and long.

More tomorrow.

Second night now. The wine was open last night for about 5 hours, then closed with a Vacuu-Vin stopper. It is still tremendously aromatic, even more floral than last night. Lavender is coming through along with black currant, blackberries and pepper. Plenty of black fruit and plums on the palate, perhaps even a tiny touch of cranberry, along with a pinch of pepper. That said, it is far more one-dimensional than last night, giving its initial fruit and not much to follow. There is also that slighly oxidized bruised plum taste you get in a wine that is over the hill. Not, mind you, blatant port-like oxidation, merely a sense of flatness and age.

Conclusion? This was a good wine, even a great wine with the QPR, on the first night. The second night is was on its way down hill. That probably means it is ready to drink now but right now. Don't leave this in the cellar waiting for it to get better.