France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
No nose at first, becoming slightly smoky and richer with time. Eventually some garrigue, EtOH, ripe fruits but kind of stewy. Decidedly modern and very young, this improved with air becoming lush and sweet with lots of dark fruit. This wine had me on the fence; on one hand I loved the depth of fruit but on the other I constantly felt like the balance might not be there to provide the polish and class that some others had. 89-90?
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another tightly wound young CdP; black cherry, herbs on the nose, a little weedy? Dense tannins, austere, but seemingly more structured and elegant than the '05 Janasse. Promising but too young, this really exploded into an enjoyable wine with the first bite of pizza. NR
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wow. Brownish orange in color. Funky incredible bouquet: Rustic, barny, saddle leather, shoebox, garrigue, menthol and a charming hint of volatility. Huge, mouth-filling texture and an intriguing tactile grip/spritz. Spice, dried herbs, leather, tart acidity. Long complex finish. Some fruit but this was really driven by savory, rustic elements and it did so quite nicely. 93-94, WOTN, truly outstanding wine.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Licorice, berry, menthol, cherry, fennel, leather. Rich and ripe, showing a lot of fresh barrique. Spicy, nice complexity but hard to identify as CdP or even Grenache, pretty international style. Really enjoyed this for it's merits. 91-92
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Surprisingly light in color. Green nose reminiscent of fresh field marijuana, cut green herbs, olives, with a faint musky sweetness. Rich, ripe and mouth-filling, this has a pronounced tactile effect. Long, spicy, complex. Big but elegant, loved this.
2005 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape 89 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
No nose at first, becoming slightly smoky and richer with time. Eventually some garrigue, EtOH, ripe fruits but kind of stewy. Decidedly modern and very young, this improved with air becoming lush and sweet with lots of dark fruit. This wine had me on the fence; on one hand I loved the depth of fruit but on the other I constantly felt like the balance might not be there to provide the polish and class that some others had. 89-90?
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2005 Domaine de Saint Siffrein Châteauneuf-du-Pape
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Another tightly wound young CdP; black cherry, herbs on the nose, a little weedy? Dense tannins, austere, but seemingly more structured and elegant than the '05 Janasse. Promising but too young, this really exploded into an enjoyable wine with the first bite of pizza. NR
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