France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 1 of 4. Medium brick-ish/brow-nish colour, lighter green olive edges. Smells like the inside of an old, leather-bound wooden treasure chest. Red fruit, earthy and leathery notes, tobacco leaf and spices, with lively acidity, mostly resolved tannin and very good length. Nice old age sweetness. A little dry and even drying at first, but the wine kept improving and developed nicely in the glass; the fruit came to the fore and the dryness disappeared after some time, leaving a mature, beautifully balanced, integrated and harmonious Châteauneuf-du-Pape that drank very well and easily stood up to the younger, high octane wines in this tasting.
Equally enjoyable on day two. Still with good fruit and with that leatherbound wooden treasure chest profile and those lovely spice notes, maybe a little more herbal, with a distinct anise note on the finish. Great wine!
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 2 of 4. Ripe red and dark fruit, spices, herbal notes, eucalyptus and liquorice, with good acidity, smooth tannin and superb length. Lingers for minutes! Great concentration and good complexity. Balanced and harmonious and quite complete. Fresh compared to the other wines. Maybe slightly alcoholic but otherwise equally satisfying on day two. Great CdP!
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 3 of 4. Youthful medium ruby colour. Very fruity on the nose, less fruity on the palate. Red fruit, herbal notes, eucalyptus mild gaminess and spice notes, with just enough acidity, dry and slightly astringent tannin, lightly warming alcohol and to good length of the dry, charcoal-like finish.
Initially, the wine was quite rustic, but improved with extended aeration in the glass. By day three, the red fruit notes have become cleaner and more prominent, the wine had lost some of its rusticity and most of its dryness, and even developed a fairly smooth texture. On day four, the wine was red fruit-and pastille-driven, again very dry on the finish, and had lost some of its length. Hold for at least five years. 90+ for now.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 4 of 4. Weird, perfumed/chemical nose, feels like I am back at the internship I did more than 30 years ago at the chemical lab of a paper factory. Concentrated dark fruit, intense herbal notes, pastille, spices, anise and liquorice on the palate, with supporting acidity, ripe, well-integrated tannin and very good length. Very ripe, dark and concentrated, but the wine handles the high alcohol quite well.
By day two, however, the fruit profile turns more raisiny and while the wine still is fairly smoothly textured, it has lost length and, overall, appeal.
Too much of everything, ripeness, concentration and alcohol, for me. Based on my experience with this producer, I would drink now. 90(-)
1978 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape 92 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 1 of 4. Medium brick-ish/brow-nish colour, lighter green olive edges. Smells like the inside of an old, leather-bound wooden treasure chest. Red fruit, earthy and leathery notes, tobacco leaf and spices, with lively acidity, mostly resolved tannin and very good length. Nice old age sweetness. A little dry and even drying at first, but the wine kept improving and developed nicely in the glass; the fruit came to the fore and the dryness disappeared after some time, leaving a mature, beautifully balanced, integrated and harmonious Châteauneuf-du-Pape that drank very well and easily stood up to the younger, high octane wines in this tasting.
Equally enjoyable on day two. Still with good fruit and with that leatherbound wooden treasure chest profile and those lovely spice notes, maybe a little more herbal, with a distinct anise note on the finish. Great wine!
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2007 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 93 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 2 of 4. Ripe red and dark fruit, spices, herbal notes, eucalyptus and liquorice, with good acidity, smooth tannin and superb length. Lingers for minutes! Great concentration and good complexity. Balanced and harmonious and quite complete. Fresh compared to the other wines. Maybe slightly alcoholic but otherwise equally satisfying on day two. Great CdP!
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2012 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 3 of 4. Youthful medium ruby colour. Very fruity on the nose, less fruity on the palate. Red fruit, herbal notes, eucalyptus mild gaminess and spice notes, with just enough acidity, dry and slightly astringent tannin, lightly warming alcohol and to good length of the dry, charcoal-like finish.
Initially, the wine was quite rustic, but improved with extended aeration in the glass. By day three, the red fruit notes have become cleaner and more prominent, the wine had lost some of its rusticity and most of its dryness, and even developed a fairly smooth texture. On day four, the wine was red fruit-and pastille-driven, again very dry on the finish, and had lost some of its length. Hold for at least five years. 90+ for now.
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2009 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Wine 4 of 4. Weird, perfumed/chemical nose, feels like I am back at the internship I did more than 30 years ago at the chemical lab of a paper factory. Concentrated dark fruit, intense herbal notes, pastille, spices, anise and liquorice on the palate, with supporting acidity, ripe, well-integrated tannin and very good length. Very ripe, dark and concentrated, but the wine handles the high alcohol quite well.
By day two, however, the fruit profile turns more raisiny and while the wine still is fairly smoothly textured, it has lost length and, overall, appeal.
Too much of everything, ripeness, concentration and alcohol, for me. Based on my experience with this producer, I would drink now. 90(-)
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