This wine was several levels behind the single domaine Crozes from Waitrose at £7.99 (£1 off offer). It was during the 7 day Sains campaign ( £8.99 less £2.99 )*75% = £4.50

OK for £4.50 at Sainsburys on Monday 1st November. A generic Crozes on an exceptional vintage. On other years and at £8.99, I dont think so......Well, I don't recon so

When 1st opening, the first glass of wine is too sweet, and if tasting blind, you'd swear it was a bulk Navarra. How is this ? Surely this is Ebro oak ! A yeast compound used to make the wine more commercial for immediate consumption ? A dead ringer for one of those mod spanish syrahs. Everything about it was north west Ebro valley on the south side.

Next day more Rhone like, no hot stones, but a bit more tannin and less commercially flabby, and a hell of a lot better for it, actually. Still a bit sweet and wine gummy, the liquorice more Rowntree's Allsorts than real root, or Pontefract cakes for that matter .... but the wine acquitted itself by the end of the bottle.

I sometimes feel that Tribs and I are trying to ** scrape off the ketchup, by airing, aging and decanting, that modern winemakers are using as yeast and fermentation additive, to make their wines more appealing to a wider public.

Yeah OK. For me, it will probably improve as it dries out. The sweetness could go quite well with mature English cheeses and buscuits. So at £4.50 who's complaining.

** I have no lab evidence of this though.

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Duncan

Huh - bottle variance here. Not my taste buds - ** just in case you were thinking.

This one is CdR villages, more savoury, no Crows though. Still OK for the money. A ringer for the Waitrose CdR villages Vinsobres '07.

Not complaining, better with grub.

** edit - I was thinking though It is different, errr yes, drier, less garnacha influenced, me thinks.

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Duncan

One sweet, one dry

I have a couple of these on the same offer but was going to leave for a bit.

Was thinking that all these Tain Crozes would be quite similar, but the Majestic one was so different to the Waitrose. Now we find that 2 of the same (Sains) are quite different. How many of the Hauts de Pavieres (WR) have you drunk? Have you found any bottle variation in those?

Have had a fairly dry week. I'm going to open something to drink while I watch the match tonight though.

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tribs

One sweet, and one drierrrrr. Certainly not dry. Hard to find a CdR on vintage '07 which my claret tongue, would class as dry already - per se' Assuming they will slowly evolve to a drier style, as is the norm with base line southern Rhone

Moving up the tree .....The Waitrose Crozes was straight down the line, and the only variance was me and food effects. I've drunk 3, of which one was with guests. The rest of the WR Hauts de Pavieres I keep, because they have more structure and depth. Monitor as I go.

Why not give the "Les 3 Lys" a go - splosh it around before you roll with it, although you could try a 1st nip, just to see what I mean about it.

Or the Michel Chapoutier '07 Côtes du Roussillon on the braile label for the same money. May be you should have that - I can say that I was sorry not to have scored many more of those. Quite full and more than a hint of the NW in Chapoutier's winemaking style, as was his CdR villages '07, also on the braile label. Nevertheless, you could find Roussillon DNA in its character. I thought there was much less carignan in there, which is a plus. I liked it, again airiate and splosh about, but not too warm though say 14C / 15C or so - otherwise starts getting flabby at room temp
For £4.50 and given inflation since the amazing garrique & herby 78's, probably the most pleasurable yet easy going C du Rouss that I've bought in England, (benign nose though until flabby) . Such is the '07 vintage in southern Rhone. I'm surprised they needed to discount it so much - but then....it aint trendy, nor is it stupid.

I've drunk the '09 Sains CdR Reserve Chartreuse de Bonpas as well. Trying out - may be a mini re-visit - no big deal at the mo, may improve, but nothing like the depth, fragrance & ripe fruit of the '07's. OK though, but no star.

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Duncan

Duncan, I swear each day your posts get longer !

Eh ! I'd better shut'it - Hey Shez, I got 4 wines in that spiel

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Duncan

just kidding mate

often find your write ups very informative.
Nice to have in depth input from a much more knowledgable source.
Keep up the good work

I really should give the Chapoutier Roussillon a go. Although I still haven't touched the CdR Villages I got some months ago.



Sorry, should have read properly.

That Majestic Crozes was still good though, just missing that wonderful fruit. The soft dusty tannins were delightful. Hopefully the "Les 3 Lys" will reveal something too.

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tribs

I have just checked my receipt and I paid full price for these on 2nd November minus the 25% off any 6 = £6.36.

My efforts to find if it was meant to be reduced at that time have been fruitless. It is £6.49 now. Did you definitely get them for £4.50 Dunc?

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tribs

Yep, per the calculation above, I havent got it in front of me now, because that was right at the end of last month's account - but it looked like the Bergerac '09 calc - is that Bergy £6.49 now ?

Don't forget, I wormed my way in there at 2 minutes to closing, not knowing they were closing at 22:00 in south Dorset. Just thought it was a dead Store at this time of day. I stopped for fuel, then remembered, and drove around the back. I was ages cos I the shelf replenishers to check the stock room for Goose's Sancerre tip-off, and there was a 2001 Rioja Reserva that came up on my radar - neither were found

May be a till error, or something, I left 20 minutes after closing, and only found out when more night shift guys came over with a huge trolley to re-stock everything. The night manageress got her keys out, to open the till for a card transaction only, and then let me out

Sorry, has that messed you up ?

At the mo, I think the M. Chapoutier Cotes du Roussillon is the star for the dosh. However - The Les 3 Lys will improve, still ok by me for £6.49 or so.

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Duncan

No, I had just got into my head that I'd got these for a song, like you did. No biggie.

There is some vague recollection that I was confused by the double discount you received at the time as the offer on these did not start until after the 25% off any 6 had finished. I probably worked out it was slightly cheaper on the 25% deal so bought then. Yes, that sound right. Looks like you got a piece of GK style luck on that one.

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tribs

It does happen WUNCE in a blue moon - not like GK though.

Talking luck

I sent my daughter and her man off to Devon this morning with a bottle of Vavasour '09 MSB, Mike could'nt believe his luck, He'd got a pic on his Iphone having enjoyed this wine immensely at a restaurent in west London. I didn't ask if he remembered how much it was at table

Prob a bis lunch.

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Duncan

Me lucky? Nahhhh.

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Yep, Im still here.

I wonder if he is aware of the price differential between that and the CB '09 they had in their shopping bag

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tribs

They were in NZ together at Easter 09 drinking the wonderful CB'07. No, Mike doesn't think like that, he just enjoys a good MSB, if it's poor, He just side steps it, saying he doesn't want any more, leaves it for some other mug or other. Subtle avoidance.

He said that Tinpot Hut, Blind River MSB was quite interesting, particularly with non fish, more for veggie or savoury cheese influenced starters.

We haven't done Tinpot yet.

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Duncan