Domaine Clavel, Mejanelle Copa Santa, Languedoc

Last bottle. I have to admit that I'm quite surprised by how well this wine has held up. It still shows plenty of fruit and a very nice balance. Impressive.

1998 vintage

Solid

1998 vintage

Opened 5 hours before, great showing in a magnum size. Classy, well balanced with beautiful notes of red fruits, vanilla and tobacco.

2013 vintage

Another great showing for this wine despite lack of time settling and warming up. Cork in good condition for a change. Not decanted. The wine opened up nicely in the glass showing great complexity, rich texture and outstanding ripeness. Aromas covering the full spectrum from overripe fruit, "garrigue", spices, coffee and chocolate. Sufficient acidity to keep fresh. This wine continues to amaze me!

1998 vintage

Drinking very well now. Elegant, with lovely aromas of red cherries and tobacco. It has another few years (5 to 7) but hard to resist now.

2013 vintage

Gettin better and better. Showed well with some maturity and sweetness but not at all tired. Good to drink but no hurry.

1998 vintage

This wine showed so well last night. Cork in excellent condition. Intense, very ripe fruit with the expected "garrique" components. Nicely balanced, not over the top, intense lingering Syrah dominated fruit. Drink over next couple of years.

1998 vintage

The harmony in this wine, at age 21, grabs you like a tight jazz quartet at bar time: Seamless, resonant, and impressively distinct. I recently had the 1990 Vieux Telegraphe, and this wine strikes similar chords (albeit with less complexity): sweet black fruits, garrigue, scorched earth, and a long lingering finish of spice, stony minerality, and balanced southern Rhône fruit. I suspect it will not decay in the near term, but even if well cellared it should be drunk in …

1998 vintage

Dark red --- Nose underbrush, charcoal, forest soil, some game, some tar, red fruit, some petrol, black olives--- Palate fresh, acidic, watery, tart, bursting red fruit, nice flow --- Finishes medium long on acidity-fruit-mineral impression. This vine still appears young with lots of potential, just promising. So many flavors, pure and defined. Believe in a great vine in 2-4 years from now.

2013 vintage

Kann noch liegen

2013 vintage

Lækker languedoc! Fin, lidt svag næse, med mørk frugt. Solbær, brombær og mørke kirsebær. Dernæst garrique, hvid peber og dejlig vanille. I munden er vinen dejlig rund. Fin balance uden synderlige tanniner. Fortsat mørke bær og en hel del frugt. Ligefrem, smagfuld og ikke speciel kompliceret.

2013 vintage

Best bottle I've had so far. Sweet fruit, with just enough rusticity and structure.

1998 vintage

A significantly better bottle of this wine, which leads me to agree with the people stating that the wine is not ( significantly) past its peak yet. No acetaldehyde this time, great texture, nice fruit, clean and long finish. Exactly what I was hoping for. Drink soon though...

1998 vintage

Nice wine, however too alcoholic (14.5%).

2013 vintage

While it clearly peaked a few years ago, it is still very pleasant. There has already been a drop in fruit on the nose, which has taken on a much more evolved character. Also a whiff of acetaldehyde, showing that the decline has been going on for a while. for those who take; yes it has a very deep near opaque hue. significant alcohol level as you would expect with the presence of Grenache but still pleasant. Currently dominated by …

1998 vintage

Still young, needs one more year to soften.

2013 vintage

Very very good. Not over the hill, spot on balance between fruit, tertiary, Brett, garrigue. Consistent aswell, So far 5 bottles from a case all the same. No noticeable cork taint or oxidisation. Highly recommended for those who love rustic, mature, complex wine. No rating given as 100 point scale does not appeal to me.

1998 vintage

Dark purple color. Intensive aromas of ink and dark berries on the nose. On the palate this is full-bodied, powerful and tannic, with prominent and intensive dark berry flavors. The wine is not overly fruity, though, and at the moment the aftertaste is mouth-drying. The wine has a big potential that has not yet been fully realized. I recommend to store this for a couple of years.

2013 vintage

Principally Syrah with some Grenache. Serious and very good indeed. I'd say only approaching its peak and will last.

1998 vintage

Darkest red, almost black --- Nose fresh, barnyard, sour cherry, some herbs, some elegant wood notes, some nuts --- Palate fresh, acidic, red fruit --- Finsihes pretty short, fruity and watery, tartness, minerality coming through. Appears more closed compared to last tasting. However, still very promisimg, do believe in very nice development.

2013 vintage

Dark red, almost black --- Nose exciting, immediate notes of flowers, cherries and earthiness, meat, overall fresh and inviting, shy while elegant wood notes, some sour cherry, forest foliage, hazelnut, some plums --- Palate fresh, watery, nice elegant acidity, overall nice flow, some red fruit, cherries, some smoke --- Finishes on very nice bitterness and fruit expression, mineral. Excellent. Classy and tasty vine. Cannot feel the 14,5% alcohol at all.

2013 vintage

Robe rubis soutenu a reflets orangés Nez de fruits noirs murs d'herbes aromatiques et de garrigue Attaque fraiche Bouche équilibrée avec beaucoup de finesse. On retrouve les memes aromes ne bouche avec une finale poivrée. Belle fraicheur et grande buvabilité. Longueur correcte sans plus. Une belle surprise (pour moi) compte tenu de l'age.

1999 vintage

Lots of wines for a 25/50 Party (Lori & Mike's 25/50 Party) : My last bottle of this in the cellar. Prior bottles had a lot Brett, but this one was pretty clean. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has black cherries, some slight funk and earthiness. Medium bodied. On the palate, nice cherries and layers of earthiness. Nice acidity. This is drinking well and fully mature at this point. This was one of the better bottles of this I have …

1998 vintage

This Languedoc has held up very nicely through the last 13 years since I bought it for $18. Still tastes a lot like it did on release actually, maybe a bit softer and less intense, but the same flavors of tar, blueberry, black pepper, brine and dark minerals. The dominant force in the wine is its spicy fruit, and the fruit is savory and brambly, showing off the Syrah in the blend. Lots of lively acidity keeps it fresh. The …

1998 vintage

Sad to see this go. I bought a case upon release and it was good every time. Even 12 years in this is still full of flavor. Licorice and garrigue with a syrupy consistency. If only this wine were still available in the US or at least on the west coast I would buy it regularly.

1998 vintage

Comes out with a really nice nose, smell and taste of new oak goes luckily quickly away. It's o.K. but impressions get never really great, has no real direction.

1999 vintage

Be happy if you still have some bottles. A gift for 13 €. Drink for five more years, or even longer!

1999 vintage

Still kicking. A bit of the fruit has diminished but the herbal, licorice and olive flavors are all there. Long finish. Slight hint of oxidation I don't recall from earlier bottles, perhaps age related. I really wish this wine were still easy to obtain in the US.

1998 vintage

This is still really fine. Lots of garrigue in the nose and that licorice, herb and black fruit taste. Wish I could get more.

1998 vintage

Deep ruby/garnet core, medium pale ruby rim. Intense, if not particularly aromatic nose, quite developed with liquorice, earth, herbs, hint of chocolate. Full bodied on the palate with slightly chewy tannins and moderate acidity. Showing earthy dark fruit, herbal notes, some attractive savouriness and a slightly firm medium/good length finish. Quite tasty if lacking in precision and a bit ungainly.

1998 vintage

This has taken about a decade, but it all of the tannins are finally resolved. Its mellow, sweet and meaty. A great value and went well with the lamb stew tonight.

1998 vintage

From magnum, decanted forth & back 1h beforehand. Dark red, emerging yellow rim, 6. Super nose, complex, spicy herbs, dark fruits, sweetness from the cask, coffee ...... Harmonious taste, some tannin, very sun mature giving the impression of some sweetness. Long intense finish. Very, very fine effort. Just about to reach the maturity plateau.

1999 vintage

I was shocked how good this was. This bottle was poorly stored on the floor of our kitchen for a decade. I opened it as a pop-and-dump because I was certain that it was bad. Wow! It was great. Wine of the night! Not over the hill at all, smooth and delicious - without the dreaded Brett.

1998 vintage

This will stand its own with Northern Rhones at a fraction of the cost.

1999 vintage

Still primary fruit, pepper and spices. Powerful and long, with melted tannins. This is getting drinkable now.

1998 vintage

Enjoyed this Syrah at Skytop Lodge in the Poconos. Nice effort, might be a tad past peak.

1999 vintage

This is extraordinary wine. Inky purple and opaque in color. Nose of blackberries. Silky smooth rich texture, with a wonderful finish. Put an ear to your third glass and you can hear the sound of cicadas on a summer evening in the Languedoc.

1999 vintage

Very impressive deep red with slim yellow rim, 6. Sunny mature style, loads of dark berries, not tertiary notes. Some tannin and fine finish. Could maybe be more expressive but very much alive and I suspect it will develop even further. Then higher score. Drink now - 2015.

1998 vintage

Great bottle of wine and at its peak. Notes of spice and black pepper. Velvety texture. Deep purple hue. As good as a quality Chateauneuf du Pape. A nice reward for patient cellaring.

1999 vintage

1998 Languedoc Reds Blindtasted (Rich and Peggy's Home in Los Altos, CA) : Group's #3 (my #3) – 18 pts; 1, 0, 3, 0 - dark red violet color; a little VA, black fruit, licorice and berry nose; a little hot, fruit has largely dropped out, but there's a little black fruit echo with licorice and a touch of charcoal; medium finish 88+ pts. (80% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre)

1998 vintage

Dong Khahn. Still very big. Bold grenache flavors. Quite good though certainly not elegant.

1998 vintage

Still stormin. This continues to be a very pleasurable wine. No sense of being on a downward trajectory. Rich cherry and herbal nose. Tart cherry, chocolate and garrigue flavors. Nice mouthfeel. What a bargain this was.

1998 vintage

Very nice Syrah-dominated Languedoc. Smooth texture, wonderful nose.

1999 vintage

Dark red to rim. Medium intensity nose of sweet cherry, dark berries, tar and smoke, plus a hint of herbs. Full body, nice balance, ripe fruits, roasted meats on the palate, well integrated tannins, long finish tapering off to raisiny sweetness mixed with smoky tannins. Over a few hours, some raspberry notes start to appear in the mix. Excellent.

1998 vintage

Still there

1999 vintage

Fully mature. A combination of red fruit and spices. Alcohol well integrated and tannins resolved. A pleasent drink. Drink now.

1999 vintage

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Domaine Clavel, Mejanelle Copa Santa, Languedoc

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