Tardieu-Laurent, Cornas, 'Coteaux', 1999
Fading bright cherry-red color. Aromas of old wood cask and fading plums. Old cherry-oak, flat cola, sherry cask...the flavors speak 'ancien' but the tannins still clamp on the finish. The fruit has faded precipitously from a bottle earlier (maybe 3 years ago?) leaving behind a warm wooden shell. Much better before when fresh. Tastes more like a southern Rhone blend than all syrah Cornas, perhaps more like a syrah-grenache-carignan blend. On the second night, more of the sour biting acid that syrah manifests was present. Still, B/B-
Domaine de Cantaussel, Minervois, 'la Liviniere', 'Pic St. Martin', 1999
No notes here, but this mostly syrah wine was much improved from an earlier bottle, with the whole enchilada smoothing out and becoming that stage of young maturity with nuance. Mushroomy, tobacco leaf, and preserved damson plum jam, with earth and minerals. Great stuff here (esp. at $20), and wish I had another bottle. A-
Ferraton, Hermitage, 'les Miaux', 1998
Whatever happened to these vignerons? I never see them around anymore. Translucent dried maroon red color. Cherry straw and iron on the nose. Rusty iron, beet skin, sour cherry-redcurrant juice, with noticeable tannins remaining. This is probably toward peak now, having the middle-aged spirit of fighting a vision of future death, but balancing the tension between smooth fruit and loss of such. In a good spot. B+