Grande Cassagne, Costieres de Nimes, Hippolyte

PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs -med dark red minimal bricking -low key mature dark fruit slight caramel port -med/med- acidity, moderately deep rich velvety faded sweet dark fruit and earth mostly resolved ripe tannins with only a hint of caramel on finish -on the decline but still rather nice and surprisingly for the vintage not hot and roasted

The characteristics of the vintage, so full coloured, ripe and ample. Better than my last bottle 6 months or so ago (not reviewed here), and will continue to drink well if not improve.

Raspberry cassis nose with good structure and balance. Very good value

Roediger Tasting - Southern Rhone to the Costrieres de Nimes (Stellenbosch) : The 2003 at two years younger, already has more about it with freshness and more garnet colour. A riper entry with blackcurrant, black raspberry and dried autumn is complexed with some cinnamon and a touch of spice. The tannins are riper and firm but drier, and the wine is fuller and heavier. The finish is medium with leather and dried undergrowth and more stewed fruit, especially raisin. A …

This bottle was a disappointment from the 2001 vintage. The wine had a great nose of red and black fruits but I could not get over the astingent tannins present in the finsih. 2003 was a ripe year so they were not green tannis, but the wine just did not do it for me. I think I will hold on to my last bottle for a while and hope the wine resolves itself.

Lots of cherry in both the bouquet and taste, but peppery finish was too spicy for my taste the first day. The next day it seemed better balanced, so I'd recommend an hour or two in the decanter.

Tasted double-blind. Dark ruby/garnet color, medium vibrancy. Nose of red cherries and currants, blackberry liqueur, and light oak, with a mineral, iron backbone. Much oakier in the mouth, with medium body, strong acidity and tannins, and a hot but generous finish. The nose is much more elegant than the palate, which is lacking in fruit concentration and has a generally woody feel. 50+4+12+14+6=86