Domaine Berthet-Rayne Châteauneuf- du- Pape

Won the 'Concours des Vins Medaille d'Or 2008' for Châteauneuf- du- Pape quite an Honor, your honor? Is great composite blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault, 5% Syrah with initial bottle whiff of faintest yellow raspberry. After decanting and hour oening up, glass nose drew on licorice black cherry and almost pomegranate frangrances. A stout structure with real gem quality, has a clear garnet translucency, with mid solid palette presence, flavors run to slight acrid tannic black currant und again with pomegranate fruit but not unpleasant flat monobloc smooth feel. Moves through to very controlled lovely (me? I sensed 'lovely'?) knife spice edge, to white pepper finish of 25 seconds...no fireworks, but nice multi-layered presentation fruit, spice, balance acid e tannin for solid impact. Layer quiet fruit balance acidity e tannin smooth power.