The basic Châteauneuf from this producer from a very HOT vintage. Truthfully, I was surprised to find this in the cellar and wasn't sure it would have held up. Wrong. It drank great. Perhaps not the complexity of other vintages, but lots of delicious fruit made for a very nice drink. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose offers up plums, black cherries, some spice, and a bit of black olive. Medium bodied. Tannins all resolved. Full bodied, smooth texture. On the palate, plums, cherries and black cherries with slight char. Nice finish. This needs to be consumed sooner than later as it won't stay at this level long. It drank well on its own but would work well with food, too. Grilled sausages and onions would be a nice match.
