The Rhône Valley Wine Tasting #WeekendWinedown

Château de Beaucastel Coudoulet de Beaucastel Côte du Rhône Blanc 2015 (Côtes-du-Rhône, France) - On the nose white flower perfume, lemon white grapefruit, golden apple, pear, apricot, pineapple, white pepper, honey, wet stone, and subtle steel. On the palate this wine was dry with medium alcohol and body, and medium plus acidity, length, and complexity. The same notes on the nose continued on the palate, ripe/fresh peach, pineapple, apricot, pear, lemon, white pepper, golden apple, flowers, and wet stone. This wine also had a light oily texture.
Pierre Gaillard Condrieu 2015 (Condrieu, France) - On the nose flower shoppe, melon, honeysuckle, herbaceous/vegetal, peach, apricot, tangerine, honey, wet stone, and almond. On the palate this wine was dry with medium alcohol and acidity, and medium minus body, length, and complexity. Riper/richer apricot, honey, peach, flowers, orange blossom, mandarins, wet stone, and almond. There was also a sort of syrup weight. 
Gabriel Meffre Laurus Crozes-Hermitage Rouge 2014 (Crozes-Hermitage, France) - On the nose vanilla, chocolate, coffee, raw meat, blood/iron, raspberry, plum, tomato, black pepper, smoked meat, mint, ketchup chips, and fresh-turned earth. On the palate this wine was dry with medium alcohol, body, length, and complexity, medium minus tannins, and medium plus acidity. Notes of fresh red berries, cherry, blueberry, raspberry, plum, chocolate, coffee, spices/smoke, mocha, and blood/iron. 
Jean-Luc Colombo Syrah Cornas Terres Brûlées 2015 (Cornas, France) - This was the perfect blend of savoury, fruit, and earth! Notes of fresh/dried violets, cherry, tomato, cedar, blackberry, plum, soy sauce, smoke, black pepper, steak spice, fig, dried leaf, forest floor, and bay leaf. On the palate this wine was dry with medium plus structure and complexity, and medium length (the full structure is cutting the length into bitterness). Notes of forest floor, fresh/ripe plum, black cherry, blueberry, raspberry, flowers, coffee, smoke, and cedar. 
Barossa Valley Estate E&E Black Pepper Shiraz 2014 (Barossa Valley, Australia) - On the nose eucalyptus, rosemary, blueberry pie, chocolate, mocha, smoke, lavender, vanilla, menthol, black pepper, pencil, liquorice, and fresh-turned earth. A lot of confection and jammy characters. On the palate this wine was dry with high alcohol and complexity, full body and length, medium tannins, and medium plus acidity. Notes of cold blueberry pie (tartness), smoke, floral, chocolate, vanilla, mocha, mixed berries, and fresh-turned earth. Overall rich and round. 
Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhone Villages Plan de Dieu 2015 (Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages, France) - Great example of Southern Rhône garrigue quality. On the nose rosemary, thyme, chocolate covered raisins, chocolate, ripe cherry, floral, forest floor, slight graphite, and cherry nips. On the palate this wine was dry with medium plus alcohol, medium acidity and body, and medium minus tannins, length, and complexity. Notes of ripe cherry, spice, pepper, vanilla, subtle herbs, and subtle graphite. 
Domaine du Grapillon d'Or Gigondas 2014 (Gigondas, France) - Southern Rhône garrigue quality. On the nose chocolate blueberry, black pepper, cherry liqueur, violet, sweet vanilla, liquorice, ripe strawberry, cherry, herbs, forest floor, and dark chocolate. This wine was dry with high alcohol, and medium plus tannins, acidity, body, length, and complexity. Notes of forest floor, ripe cherry, strawberry, burnt orange peel, spices wood, vanilla, dark bitter chocolate, and plum. Had a negroni quality - herbaceous-ness from the gin and bitterness from the compari. 
Domaine Font de Michelle Gonnet Père & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015 (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France) - Garrigue and ripe/jam quality. On the nose strawberry jam, cherry juice, rhubarb, violet, cinnamon hearts, subtle graphite, forest floor, floral, and vanilla. On the palate this wine was dry with high alcohol, medium plus tannins, acidity, body, length, and complexity. Notes of herbs, floral, forest floor, strawberry jam, cinnamon hearts, rhubarb, spice, rosemary, lavender, smoke, and tomato.