The nose shows loads of sour cherry and then some vanilla. The palate is fairly soft, not terribly well defined. The least impressive wine of the tasting.

The nose is brambly with a somewhat austere palate, quite tart. This does have nice structure, and with an hour in the glass it unfolded pretty well.

Lots of rose and violet on the nose with hints of tar and then some mushroom. The palate shows great acidity but is a bit monolithic. Tarry, intense. Mouthwatering acid.

OK, here we go. This shows a rocking, focused core of raspberry, much more intensity than the Conteise, really lively acidity.

Wow, now we are into the big time. This has an explosive nose tha leaps out of the glass. Quite tarry on the nose with some vanilla and loads of violet and raspberry. Wow, what a palate! Long stunning with no rough edges.

This is clearly the wine of the tasting, no contest, easily 95+ and then some. The nose was reticent at first but kept building to show massive notes of violet, pure, floral and high pitched with a hint of cedary barrique. The palate is where this wine slays you, lush with amazing mouthfeel, silky tannins, fantastic depth of fruit, laser focused, with amazing tooth-coating tannins that show up almost a minute after you have taken a sip. Wow!

The clear #2 wine of the tasting. Much more tar on the nose. On the palate this is masculine and brawny, a monster, black and tarry, very dark and the most imposing of all the wines tasted. The palate is enjoyable though with sweet fruit amidst the bruising structure.

The nose here is quite different and shows much more charcoal, mineral and licorice with some Play-Do emerging on the nose. The palate manages to be both floral and earthy with compelling waves of black cherry. Quite nice.

Someone had brought a bottle of their own to the tasting, bless them! The nose was a little off-putting with a strong green streak, but the palate was earthy with intense minerality and very soft, resolved mouthfeel.

Purchased from the list at Nell's. You have to love a wine list with Beaucastel 1981, 1983, 1988, and 1990 (in 375ml) at prices that I can stomach.

The cork was a bit more wet than I would like, but this was a fabulous, mature Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Very sound, very complex and very enjoyable. The sweet nose exploded with some horse, garrigue, licorice, olives, tapenade and even some roasted meat. Wow, I could smell this for an eternity! The palate is stunning: savory, herbal and sweet, all at the same time. This has everything I want in a mature wine, just an explosion of sweet, complex and mature fruit, gorgeously soft mouthfeel, loads of life. With sauteed sweatbreads and then pan-seared duck breast this was a lovely accompaniment.