With tonight's dinner of smoked duck, potatoes and cucumber-tomato
salad, I opened two J et R wines:

1999 Domaine de la Tourade Gigondas
color: garnet with a hint of bricking
nose: quite gamey, with a good underpinning of cherryish fruit
palate: meaty, gamey, background cherry, minerals, decent structure

1999 Domaine Grand Tinel Chateauneuf-du-Pape
c: more vivid garnet with no signs of bricking
n: kirsch, a hint of gaminess and herbs
p: much fruitier than the Gigondas, medium-bodied, kirsch, decent
acidity and a touch of meaty-gamey flavor

Both of these wines are imported by J et R Selections, based in Ann
Arbor, MI and serving those of us in neighboring states. The Grand
Tinel struck me as a fine, honest CdP that didn't have too many
ambitions. Likewise, the Gigondas was the non-oaky version from Tourade
and quite rustic. Both were good reflections of the vintage, and it
could be argued that '99 favored Gigondas slightly more than CdP. Both
wines were quite enjoyable with the food, though Jean and our guest both
preferred the CdP for its more evident fruit.

Mark Lipton
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