This bottle made it a long time. It is fully mature yet needed a bit of time to open up after I opened the bottle. Starting to get a bit brownish in color. Really nice nose of forest floor with tobacco and garrigue. Medium-bodied. I kept wanting to come back to it and puzzle over the flavor profile. I could almost believe it was a pinot noir because of the subleties. Almost no tannin left but the acid holds this up well. No hard edges, nothing bitter in the finish, but lacks a bit of complexity in that finish. This was very nice and a good suprise because I wasn't expecting much.
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Visually, a little brick showing, but still quite solid; looks fine. On the nose, there was the usual ChdP earthiness, but with fruit. In the mouth, very smooth--fully mature, and a somewhat unusual flavor profile--harder to characterize than the usual mature ChdP? There was fruit, dark for us, not so much the raspberry mentioned by others, and a bit of garrigue but just not the usual for these wines. We enjoyed it, but not as much as other 2000s and 2001s, and not as much as this wine previously. Still, a very nice bottle of wine. FYI, it was gone by the second night as expected.
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A complex nose of bright red fruit, riper dark fruits and Asian spices. A bit closed at first, opened up after an hour or so in the decanter. Raspberry and cherry dominate the palate with hints of tobacco, leather, soy sauce and a rich almost port-like finish. Give it a little time to open up, but probably time to drink up.
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A dark ruby color; yellowish-brown on the rim. The wine has transformed somewhat, compared to my notes of almost 20 months ago. A bit more fruit driven and intense. Complex aromas of raspberry, black cherry, floral notes, leather, black pepper, a touch of liquorish and tar. Similar flavors, with the addition of dark chocolate on the back palate. Richer and fuller bodied. Great acid and structure. A long peppery finish. Pairs quite nice with Spencer ribeye steak. A great Friday evening.
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The nose was rich and meaty showing raspberry fruit, floral undergrowth, roasted chestnut and green beans. On the palate it was velvety smooth with incredible savory richness versus focused acidity, showing flavors of ripe raspberry, dark chocolate and cherry liquor. The finish was long with tart raspberry fruit, which softened toward the close.
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Very good. I recommend not decanting and seeing the progression over a couple hours. If you are pouring it for alot of people, decant for 1 hr. Initially very big, with some firm tannins, tight nose, etc, but good fruit. After about an hour, strong earth, coffee, blackberry jam and some heat. The tannins evaporated, and great sweet red and blue fruits appear on top of forest floor, earth, coffee, light leather and tobacco. Slight heat on the sweet finish. Amazing with some beef stew.
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14.0% alcohol. A pretty Chateauneuf that's drinking well right now. Light red color, with a bouquet of dark red fruit, leather, and flowers. In the mouth, refined and elegant, with a mixture of red and black fruit, earthy complexity, and a solid finish. Distinctly better than the previous bottle. B+
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14.0% alcohol. A bit odd. Somewhat funky, but not bretty. Dry and earthy on the nose, with a leather note. In the mouth, drying but with a good hit of black fruit and some pepper. A bit too earthy for my tastes. It seemed disjointed. B
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Previous bottle, in '05, surprisingly light, smooth and simple. Now starts with strikingly jammy flavours, with some obvious heat. A graze of tannin still there. Open, but stolid, with some positive, old-fashioned leathery character. Clumsy. Adequate, after a long hill walk. 86 to 87 pts, 87.
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French Wine Pairing Dinner (The Plum Island Grille, Newbury, MA): Garnet color. Nose of earth, mushrooms. Palate of briary fruits, licorice, smoke, pepper on background of sweet tannins. Decent finish. Good but not particularly memorable. Perhaps too young.
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First closed then barnyard and red fruit on the nose. On the palate cherries, liquor, kirsh, pepper huge acidity and tannins suggesting lone life. Hold for now.
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Chateauneuf du Pape tasting at Hi-Time (Hi-Time Wine Cellar): Fairly light brownish/red in color. Open nose, with notes of plums and pepper (again!) - a little funk to the nose as well. On the palate, not as open as the nose - pepper notes dominate the fruit, but it's definitely resting comfortably, waiting to emerge. Powerful, tannic finish, still dominated by the pepper notes. Hard to taste now - Not too enjoyable, but seems to have lots of potential in front of it.
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4/24/2023 - grossie Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle made it a long time. It is fully mature yet needed a bit of time to open up after I opened the bottle. Starting to get a bit brownish in color. Really nice nose of forest floor with tobacco and garrigue. Medium-bodied. I kept wanting to come back to it and puzzle over the flavor profile. I could almost believe it was a pinot noir because of the subleties. Almost no tannin left but the acid holds this up well. No hard edges, nothing bitter in the finish, but lacks a bit of complexity in that finish. This was very nice and a good suprise because I wasn't expecting much.
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6/16/2019 - dcwino wrote: 89 Points
Mostly dark fruit, medium expressive, not terribly complex.
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12/6/2013 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 91 Points
dark fruit! earthy! Not necessarily an early drinker!
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11/23/2013 - amred wrote: 90 Points
Visually, a little brick showing, but still quite solid; looks fine. On the nose, there was the usual ChdP earthiness, but with fruit. In the mouth, very smooth--fully mature, and a somewhat unusual flavor profile--harder to characterize than the usual mature ChdP? There was fruit, dark for us, not so much the raspberry mentioned by others, and a bit of garrigue but just not the usual for these wines. We enjoyed it, but not as much as other 2000s and 2001s, and not as much as this wine previously. Still, a very nice bottle of wine. FYI, it was gone by the second night as expected.
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10/13/2013 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 92 Points
rather enjoyed this bottle
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9/25/2013 - Bill Bucklew wrote: 89 Points
A complex nose of bright red fruit, riper dark fruits and Asian spices. A bit closed at first, opened up after an hour or so in the decanter. Raspberry and cherry dominate the palate with hints of tobacco, leather, soy sauce and a rich almost port-like finish. Give it a little time to open up, but probably time to drink up.
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9/1/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
A dark ruby color; yellowish-brown on the rim. The wine has transformed somewhat, compared to my notes of almost 20 months ago. A bit more fruit driven and intense. Complex aromas of raspberry, black cherry, floral notes, leather, black pepper, a touch of liquorish and tar. Similar flavors, with the addition of dark chocolate on the back palate. Richer and fuller bodied. Great acid and structure. A long peppery finish. Pairs quite nice with Spencer ribeye steak. A great Friday evening.
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8/25/2012 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose was rich and meaty showing raspberry fruit, floral undergrowth, roasted chestnut and green beans. On the palate it was velvety smooth with incredible savory richness versus focused acidity, showing flavors of ripe raspberry, dark chocolate and cherry liquor. The finish was long with tart raspberry fruit, which softened toward the close.
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3/6/2012 - ericindc wrote: 91 Points
Very good. I recommend not decanting and seeing the progression over a couple hours. If you are pouring it for alot of people, decant for 1 hr. Initially very big, with some firm tannins, tight nose, etc, but good fruit. After about an hour, strong earth, coffee, blackberry jam and some heat. The tannins evaporated, and great sweet red and blue fruits appear on top of forest floor, earth, coffee, light leather and tobacco. Slight heat on the sweet finish. Amazing with some beef stew.
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11/22/2011 - AtoZ wrote: 90 Points
Nice.. soft.. secondary.. at peak or maybe just past.. drink up.
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1/18/2011 - Chainthroer wrote: 90 Points
Yellow-brown at the rim. Beginning its peak. Black cherry, raspberry, liquorish, pepper, a tad of road tar. Decent finish. Rating 90-91.
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8/20/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. A pretty Chateauneuf that's drinking well right now. Light red color, with a bouquet of dark red fruit, leather, and flowers. In the mouth, refined and elegant, with a mixture of red and black fruit, earthy complexity, and a solid finish. Distinctly better than the previous bottle. B+
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12/25/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
14.0% alcohol. A bit odd. Somewhat funky, but not bretty. Dry and earthy on the nose, with a leather note. In the mouth, drying but with a good hit of black fruit and some pepper. A bit too earthy for my tastes. It seemed disjointed. B
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6/29/2009 - bk wrote: 86 Points
Stewed fruit, plums and berries. No noticeable tannin left. Heavy and dull.
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5/24/2009 - campingfleurie wrote: 87 Points
Previous bottle, in '05, surprisingly light, smooth and simple. Now starts with strikingly jammy flavours, with some obvious heat. A graze of tannin still there. Open, but stolid, with some positive, old-fashioned leathery character. Clumsy. Adequate, after a long hill walk. 86 to 87 pts, 87.
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6/27/2008 - bk wrote:
Amazingly floral and fruit forward for CdP.Medium body, good structure.
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7/2/2007 - Beachdad wrote: 89 Points
Plums, pepper and some currents.
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7/2/2007 - Beachdad wrote: 89 Points
Plums, a little pepper.
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2/7/2007 - cgrimes wrote: 88 Points
French Wine Pairing Dinner (The Plum Island Grille, Newbury, MA): Garnet color. Nose of earth, mushrooms. Palate of briary fruits, licorice, smoke, pepper on background of sweet tannins. Decent finish. Good but not particularly memorable. Perhaps too young.
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11/25/2005 - 97mjr wrote: 90 Points
First closed then barnyard and red fruit on the nose. On the palate cherries, liquor, kirsh, pepper huge acidity and tannins suggesting lone life. Hold for now.
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1/20/2005 - Greg W wrote: 90 Points
Chateauneuf du Pape tasting at Hi-Time (Hi-Time Wine Cellar): Fairly light brownish/red in color. Open nose, with notes of plums and pepper (again!) - a little funk to the nose as well. On the palate, not as open as the nose - pepper notes dominate the fruit, but it's definitely resting comfortably, waiting to emerge. Powerful, tannic finish, still dominated by the pepper notes. Hard to taste now - Not too enjoyable, but seems to have lots of potential in front of it.
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