On the evening of March 30, 2006, I wrote the following tasting note on the abovementioned wine -

Finally, tonight I cracked my unopened timber box of the Chapoutier Crozes-Hermitage “Les Varonnieres” 1999 - a profound, virile, plump, juicy Syrah revealing a very deep ruby colour, gorgeous old-vine creamy nose of blood plums, spicy new oak and new leather with hints of blackberry, licorice and a subtle floral top note. Plush but suave and relatively easy to drink, the palate offers up a slightly less inspiring replica of the bouquet’s constituents with a dash of cherry thrown in for good measure. There’s a good whack of acid and the savoury oak is yet to quite fully integrate with the ripe fruit. Only medium-bodied this wine finishes dry and long with great persistence of grainy tannins just overpowering, at the minute, classy savoury/berry flavours. Bordering on Outstanding, I’m now “over the moon” I opened my first bottle tonight. Expect superior drinking over next 5-8 years, once the wine fully matures on the palate. This Syrah almost compares (just a notch below) with the best Crozes-Hermitage I’ve ever tried - Paul Jaboulet’s fabulous 1990 Domaine Thalabert.

Last Saturday, Tim Kirk mentioned he’d bought some of this and found it decidedly bretty and most disappointing. I recently secured another 6 pack and have just cracked a bottle tonight to compare and upon opening there’s brett aplenty on the nose. The only saving grace is once given some air, the worst of the brett blows off. The palate seems relatively intact - lovely fruit and fine tannins - if anything, a little better than what I experienced above! Ultimately, a Very Good rating tonight - 87 points. 

13% A/V

I bought a case of this on spec after a rapturous review from Huon Hooke in the Sydney Morning Herald. From memory, he rated this far superior, on that paticular day, to the prestigious “La Chapelle” of the same year.

Medium ruby with some brick and rust in the outer edges, the wine opens with a lovely perfume of rose petals quickly followed by most attractive cooked plums with hints of hung “deli” meats, savoury/cinammon oak, sweet earth and Asian spices adding complexity. Of medium body, the svelte palate brims with ripe damson plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit backed by an intriguing almalgam of meaty/savoury/spicy/miso oak-derived characters with pleasing, refreshing acid and classy fine tannins providing the necessary structure to award this an Outstanding rating of 91 points. Displaying a creamy texture, ample generosity of flavour and an impressive, lengthy, sweet, mouth-filling departure, this wine will continue to improve and provide superior drinking over the next five to ten years. Great effort, FWII!