Found this lost in my cellar. From an historically hot vintage, I had little hope for this wine, but opened it anyway. I was wrong again. What a lovely CdP. This is not their luxury cuvée, so perhaps that helped get the less ripe grapes, but at age 21, this bottle was excellent. Purple in color with some ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, some black raspberries, "purple" flowers, slight barnyard and spice. Medium to full bodied. Wispy tannins. lovely, juicy texture. On the palate, black cherries with depth and complexity. Good finish. The bottle
There is good news and bad news about this wine. The good news is that it is one of the least expensive Chateauneuf du Papes in the marketplace. The bad news is that in reality, there are lots of Cotes du Rhones that are better for less money. That said, it is certainly a fine wine to drink. It is a blend of 60% Grenache, 15% Mourvedre, 15% Cinsault, and 10% Syrah. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has tart cherries, cranberries with a bit of pepper. Medium bodied. On the palate, the cranberries dominate with a touch of rhubarb. One dimensional. Easy drinking.
This is drinking really well right now. Light golden in color. The nose is great with minerals, lemons, wax but also plenty of melon and tropical fruit. On the palate, this has a nice cutting acidity. Good melon and lemon fruit. Long finish. Very food friendly. While still drinking youthfully, it it open for business. It will probably start to show more signs of maturity in a few years but is delicious right now.
Deep golden in color. Blind I guessed the was a Chardonnay. Oh well. Seems like a fair amount of oak in terms of vanilla and saw dust (to a lesser extent). On the palate, lots of citrus (grapefruits) and a bit of wax. At the same time, it has an oily texture. Still, I found this very compelling. Excellent acidity. While it seemed like it needed time, it is also fresh and vibrant. Going back to it after a few hours, it was as fresh as ever. Very enjoyable.