October 16, 2023 - I must say I’m impressed that this bottle has held up as well as it did. A deep cellar find, it’s on its last legs, but not bad by any means. Fully brick red at this point, it mostly comes out with earthy notes, but a short time in the glass coaxed out some nice fruit notes, and just a touch of iron. Worth opening still, but I’d expect a quick fall off from here.
November 13, 2016 - Big Bottle Party 2016 (Restaurant Parkheuvel **, Rotterdam, NL): Impériale. Mature but lively appearance, good depth of colour; freshness and evolution, complete and deep, spices and beef stock, warm and glowing, cinnamon, ripe red berries, transparent, vibrant and energetic, thinning on the palate, mineral but not drying, long. Really benefits from the large bottle size.
May 12, 2015 - Cork was ok, minimal seepage evidence.
V:Faded, translucent garnet.
N: a bit muted, eventually opens to nice crushed strawberry and garrigue.
P: Reasonable length, velvety smooth grenache. Still has some fruit, fading though.
Drink up
13.8% abv.
November 27, 2014 - opened nicely , very well made mature red , no stink , fading fast though after about a half hour losing fruit , tasting less nice
July 3, 2013 - Still drinking nicely, a fully aged chateauneuf-du-pape.
August 20, 2011 - Lush, ripe sweet red fruit, a hint of cinnamon and spice and some lavender. Don't wait on this one, it's at it's peak.
June 20, 2011 - Open nose with a mix of dark and red berries, some dried fruits. Cinnamon, some humus. In the mouth the wine is middle bodied, with a nice silky texture. Nice length.
Elegant CDP on the plateau.
May 30, 2011 - Opened undecanted for an hour. Warm clear brick. Lovely clean mature notes lifting from the glass. Captivating cinnamon spice-box and light, warm, red fruits - almost confusable with an old burgundy in texture. Not a blockbuster, but a truly delicious Pape in the autumn of its years.
March 20, 2011 - Toronto Wine Cru - WineSpectator Off-Line Event - March 19, 2011 (Fine Wine Reserve): Tasted at the March 11 2011 Toronto Wine Cru Offline at Fine Wine Reserve, Toronto. Nose - tannins still overwhelming the fruit. Palette - needs abit of time yet. This being said, the wine faded in the glass (at a faster rate than I would have anticipated).
January 2, 2011 - Hardly profound, but this is a really nice, pleasant CDP still drinking really well. Plenty of peppery, granache fruit, sufficient structure and a decently long finish.