WineLovers Discussion Group

2003 Domaine Jean Royer, Cuvee Tradition, Chateauneuf du Pape, France, $27. While the aromas are full and ripe, with barnyardy notes, the color and flavor intensity is much less than expected from old Grenache vines. Medium garnet in color, the middleweight flavors mirror the nose; 85/85.

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By Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 06
($33) Deep red color. Powerful aromas of dried cherry and plum, sweet tobacco and pungent garrigue Intense and deep, with nicely concentrated cherry, roasted coffee and smoked meat flavors complicated by dried herbs and flowers. A fascinating, complex wine that finishes with fine tannins and excellent length. 91 points

I wish the wine I was drinking was as Josh described -- it was an anemic cousin. I wonder what gives? The wine was not corked or oxidized.

Glad to see you're back drinking wine again, Bucko.

I wonder which of the two a second bottle would resemble. I suppose that if Josh was talking from a barrel sample, his note would say so?

It was a bottle sample. Josh gives a range for all barrel samples, such 90-92.

Randy Buckner wrote:I wish the wine I was drinking was as Josh described -- it was an anemic cousin. I wonder what gives? The wine was not corked or oxidized.

Although I cannot comment on this particular wine, I reported a similar discrepancy last month with the 2004 Barrister Cabernet Franc. In a blind tasting, our group placed a (non-spoiled) bottle solidly in last place. Yet, that wine was rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine.

I am glad to see you are as perplexed by this as I was.

-- Clark