100 Pontos por Robert Parker – Safra 1999

No ano 2000 chegamos até a safra de 2007. Como os vinho mais trabalhados chegam a ficar 4 anos na bodega antes de chegarem ao mercado, achei melhor trazer a lista da década de 90.

Achou estranho um vinho ficar 4 anos na vinícola? Sem contar o processo de fabricação, um vinho top de linha, facilmente fica 24 meses em barricas de carvalho (francês ou americano) e outros 24 meses em garrafa antes de ser vendido para o mercado. Você pode estar se perguntando: “-Então um vinho da safra de 2006 pode ainda não estar sendo vendido?”. E a resposta, por incrível que pareça, é SIM!!

O grande destaque aqui é que todos os vinhos são franceses!!!

Vamos então ao que interessa, os vinhos!

100 Pontos por Robert Parker – Safra 1999

1999 Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite Blanc

A Marsanne Dry White Table wine from , Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #140 (Apr 2002)

Rating: 100

Drink 2012 - 2050

Cost: $266-$394

This is one of the greatest dry white wines I have ever tasted. The 1999 Ermitage l'Ermite is a liquid mineral, crystalline expression. It is the essence of its grape as well as terroir. It may be the greatest expression of terroir I have seen outside of a handful of Alsatian Rieslings (Clos Ste. Hune comes to mind). It has that transparent character that terroiristes talk more about than actually recognize. Drinking it is like consuming a liquified stony concoction mixed with white flowers, licorice, and honeyed fruits. It is frightfully pure, dense, and well-delineated. As I said last year, "There is no real fruit character, just glycerin, alcohol, and liquid stones." That's about it, but, wow, what an expression! Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050. This is for the connoisseur of rare wines. Along with Gerard and Jean-Louis Chave, Chapoutier is producing the finest expressions of white Hermitage. His single vineyard cuvees are to die for if you like these eccentric, idiosyncratic, mammoth dry whites.

1999 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne

A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from , Cote Rotie, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #147 (Jun 2003)

Rating: 100

Drink 2007 - 2030

Cost: $612-$950

I have given perfect scores to other vintages of La Landonne, but the black/purple-colored 1999 Cote Rotie La Landonne may be the finest effort Guigal has ever coaxed out of this vineyard. It appears less animalistic than usual, offering gorgeously pure notes of incense, melted road tar, fried bacon, blackberries, blueberries, smoked meats, and vanilla. Literally out of this world in terms of flavor concentration and balance, the finish lasts well over 60 seconds. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. What is so remarkable about this cuvee is its tremendous layers of flavor, awesome texture, and perfect balance. This is an astonishing offering from one of the world’s greatest winemakers.

1999 Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline

A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from , Cote Rotie, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #147 (Jun 2003)

Rating: 100

Drink 2005 - 2020

Cost: $679-$950

The most developed, evolved and forward of the three La-La’s in this vintage is the dense purple-colored 1999 Cote Rotie La Mouline. An extraordinary effort, it offers a smorgasbord of aromas and flavors. Scents of violets, raspberries, blackberries, roasted espresso, balsamic vinegar, and pepper tumble out of the glass. It is unctuously-textured, full-bodied, and fabulously concentrated with a tremendous purity and seamlessness that must be tasted to be believed. A wine of singular greatness, it can be drunk young, but should be at its finest between 2005-2020. What is so remarkable about this cuvee is its tremendous layers of flavor, awesome texture, and perfect balance. This is an astonishing offering from one of the world’s greatest winemakers.

1999 Guigal Cote Rotie la Turque

A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from , Cote Rotie, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #147 (Jun 2003)

Rating: 100

Drink 2006 - 2025

Cost: $639-$679

The 1999 Cote Rotie La Turque reveals notes of toasty vanilla and espresso in addition to Asian spices, mocha, pepper, blackberries, creosote, and roasted meats. The exotic perfume is followed by a wine with phenomenal intensity, sweet, well-integrated tannin, huge body, and loads of concentrated fruit. It is a tour de force in winemaking. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. What is so remarkable about this cuvee is its tremendous layers of flavor, awesome texture, and perfect balance. This is an astonishing offering from one of the world’s greatest winemakers.

1999 Michel Ogier Cote Rotie Cuvee Belle Helene

A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from , Cote Rotie, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #140 (Apr 2002)

Rating: 100

Drink 2008 - 2030

Cost: $632-$799

The finest Cote Roties Ogier has made (and he agrees) are the 1999s. The perfect 1999 Cote Rozier Cuvee Belle Helene is a seamless, majestic classic with the kind of concentration found only in Guigal's top cuvees. It boasts gorgeously sweet tannin, enormous levels of both extract and concentration, and is not only a tour de force in winemaking, but a huge Cote Rotie Syrah fruit bomb with massive glycerin, layers of extract, and plenty of toasty new oak, which is marvelously integrated given the fact that it spent 30 months in 100% new wood barrels prior to being bottled without filtration. This outstanding effort requires 5-6 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030. Bravo! Michel Ogier and his son, Stephane, are producing spectacular wines. The only problem is that production is small. As I indicated last year, Ogier's 1999s are magical.

1999 Rene Rostaing Cote Rotie Cote Blonde

A Syrah Dry Red Table wine from , Cote Rotie, Northern Rhone, Rhone, France,

Review by Robert Parker

WA # , #140 (Apr 2002)

Rating: 100

Drink 2002 - 2018

Cost: $319-$450

What can I say about the 1999 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde. This is a dry vintage port-like Cote Rotie. It possesses extraordinary intensity, brilliant harmony, and a staggering bouquet of violets laced with other flowers (paperwhite narcissus come to mind), blackberries, cassis, vanilla, and a touch of honey. The wine is unctuously-textured yet remarkably well-defined, with elegance married to intense concentration as well as an extremely long finish, this is one of the most profound and seductive Cote Roties I have ever tasted. There are 500 cases of this nectar. Anticipated maturity: now-2018. Rene Rostaing was apologetic for his 1999s, undoubtedly the greatest vintage he has ever produced. He was quick to point out that they are "atypical and too rich." Excuse me! This is Cote Rotie at its most concentrated and seductive. One of the most intelligent winemakers in Cote Rotie, Rene Rostaing continues to exhibit maturity as well as wisdom with the conditions he confronts in each vintage.