2018 La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Secrets de Pignan, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2019
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$60.00USD

This is 100% Grenache from organic grapes grown in Pignan.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries and spice/garrigue.  Full bodied.  On the palate, black cherries and some plums with underlying spice and char.  Nice energy and balance.  Long finish.  This needs more time to mature and open and surely will improve with five to seven more years.  It drinks well now though and will continue to do so for another twelve to fifteen years.  It will work well with lamb stew and other slow cooked, savory dishes.  

2018 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$37.00USD

This is a luxury cuvee for this wine who make a few different CdP's.  It is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has raspberries, black cherries, garrigue, pepper and black olives.  Full Bodied.  On the palate, this is drinking well now.  Very concentrated notes of black cherries and black raspberries with underlying pepper and smoke.  This has a long finish.  It will improve over the next five to seven years but either way will drink well for the next twelve to fifteen years.  Great on its own, but better with grilled

2018 Domaine de Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

This is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% a field blend.  It is quite tight and shut down at the moment so if drinking soon, give it about six hours of air or more.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and garrigue.  With air a bit of lavender comes out.  On the palate, this has a lovely silky texture.  The fruit is quite tight but there are black cherries and black raspberries with a bit of black licorice and anise.  Everything feels right about this wine but it just isn't showing much at the moment.  Give it another five to seven years and then it should be o

2018 Chateau de Vaudieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$40.00USD

I don't recall ever tasting a wine from this producer before.  This is a blend of 80% Grenache noir 20% Syrah.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose seems older with dust, dried cherries but also some black raspberries and garrigue.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, black cherries and dried fruits.  Moderate finish.  This seems like a wine to drink in the near term, maybe over the next three to five years.  It will work well with pasta or stews.  

2018 Saint Cosme Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$50.00USD

This is one of, if not the best, producer of Gigondas, but they also make great Chateauneuf.  It is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cinsault.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has prunes, cherries, garrigue and slight floral notes.  Medium bodied.  Young but nice complexity.  Tight layers or  plums, spice and earth.  Lively.  Nice finish.  This needs a couple more years until peak but should drink well for the next twelve to fifteen years.  

2018 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Télégramme, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2018
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$48.00USD

This is the second wine of Vieux Telegraphe.  Dark garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with spices, garrigue, and black cherries.  It has a soft but inviting texture.  Black cherry fruit with baking spices.  A bit of cough syrup on the finish.  With air, just a touch of prunes.  The is drinking a bit better than the first wine at the moment and one to drink while waiting on the bigger 2018's.  It should drink well for another ten years.  This will work well with meats and fowl.  A burger would work well.  

2007 Château Fortia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Baron, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2007
Score: 
90
Grade: 
A-

From the ripe vintage of 2007, this bottling got just average scored from Robert Parker/ The Wine Advocate.  It is easy to see why, but that is not a reflection on quality as much as style.  This bottling was quite enjoyable but certainly an outlier from the traditional Châteauneufs.   A blend of 55% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre. Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lovely cherries with some strawberries with a hint of dried flowers and spices.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is elegant and lighter.  Charming might be a good descriptor.  Cherries, with slight cranbe

2004 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France, Rhone, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2004
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$125.00USD

This is yet another example of why to buy top producers in less than top vintages.  At age 17, this was drinking amazingly well.  Purple in color with ruby swirls and ruby at the rim, mostly clear and bright.  What a nose.  Black cherries, leather, slight earthiness/barnyard and even a hint of floral.  Full bodied.  Lush texture.  On the palate, this is delicious and complex.  Layers of black cherries, earth and spice.  Great balance.  Long finish.  The would appear to be at peak, so I would drink sooner than later but it should drink well for another ten to twelve years as it moves past pe

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