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100 Words Per Minute and The Spectator Trifecta
In 7th grade we learned how to touch type on a manual typewriter with no letters on the keys. The teacher, Mrs. Egderton, was strict and wielded a wicked ruler, someone you'd never want to meet in a dark alley. By the time we escaped to high school and a used IBM Selectric, we were up to 80 words per minute.
Many of you have asked how long it takes to write these missives. Every day, seven per week, another deadline. Members feel bad for us, figuring we're blowing off baseball for this nonsense. They don't call these MacBook's "Airs" for nothing. We must be closing in on 110 words per minute now, but who's counting? All the running around, the interviews, the tasting, then the daily deadline. But the truth is, thanks to Mrs. E, we're fast. Really fast.
We just set the clock. It's 5:46am EST. The coffee's up. Here goes.
Three years ago, we asked Julien Barrot, the ingenious young Chateaneuf-maker whose 100pt "Pure" has seduced world collectors from NYC to Shanghai, if he wouldn't point us to another wunderkind winegrower of similar conviction. Barrot didn't bat an eye. "Just one." Julien said. "Adrien Fabre in Visan. But if you want to work with him, I'd get up there tomorrow."
The following morning, as we reported back then, our GPS failed us, that annoying English lady's voice leading us on a picturesque tour of the hillsides outside of fabled Vaison-la-Romaine. Finally, we did something everyone seems to have forgotten how to do on the potholes of the information highway. We spotted an octogenarian farmer, rolled down the window, and just asked. Five minutes later, we were pulling into Domaine de la Florane.
Adrien was all of 30 years of age, but had the quiet confidence of 40. We rattled back up those GPS hills in a banged up 4x4, slaloming through the woods that opened onto ravishing vineyard slopes, strewn with cobblestones, with wild lavender all around. Fabre's plantings, both here in Visan or on the cooler, north-facing slopes of St. Maurice, are a blend of 40-50 year old vine Grenache and low yielding Syrah and Mourvedre. The vines are manicured, hand-tailored by the young man with the tractor tan and his small team -- a level of care that would sing loud and true in the tasting room an hour later.
A few weeks after we spent the better part of two hours at the tasting table, luxuriating in the lavish, red fruit opulence of an incredible lineup of full throttle 2009s, Wine Spectator critic James Molesworth came calling on Adrien Fabre. These days, Robert Parker and Molesworth share center stage when it comes to the southern Rhone. But while Parker tends to stay close to Chateauneuf and Gigondas, Molesworth seems to like to stray, particularly when it's time to check out one of the most talked about young estates in the region.
In his glowing coverage of Adrien Fabre's work in the hot, dry, full bore 2009 vintage, Molesworth dropped big reviews on these lavish blends, among the highest doled out by the Spectator to any southern Rhone 2009s sporting today's price tag.
Available only in 6-packs, two bottles each of these darkest, red berry, chiseled 2009s.
It's 6:22am. We're headed back to bed. A demain.
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Tasting Notes
2009 Domaine de l'Echevin Saint-Maurice Guillaume de Rouville
"This has dark, layered cassis, blackberry and fig fruit offset wonderfully by violet, iron and applewood notes. Shows heft, but stays racy, with a long, mineral-filled finish that should stretch out nicely with modest cellaring. Drink now through 2016."
92 points -- Wine Spectator
2009 Domaine La Florane Terre Pourpre Visan Cotes du Rhone Villages
"Bright dark red. Rather delicate but complex aromas of cherry, flowers, dusty herbs, subtle pepper and flint. Rather restrained in its sweetness and texture but this wine is floral, spicy and fine-grained. Softened with air to display strong fruit. Finishes with hints of pepper and minerals and an attractive light touch. Subtle and long on the aftertaste. "
91 points -- Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar
2009 Domaine La Florane Cotes du Rhone Visan
"Stylish, with a floral edge giving way to silky cherry and raspberry fruit which glides through the perfume and shiso leaf-tinged finish. Very silky and persistent. Drink now through 2013."
90 points -- Wine Spectator
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*Important Shipping Information
- Orders will begin shipping the week of August 13, 2012.
- You will be provided with the exact shipment date during checkout.
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