Community Tasting Note

Paul S wrote:

Monday, June 30, 2008 - Drank at home from a 375ml bottling [L05DB] with Rachel and Lionel, had some Amsterdam cheese on the side that went nicely. After all the talk about this vinatge, I thought I should try it and weigh in with my opinion, especially given that I am particularly partial to Clos des Papes. Suffiice to say, I found this a real joy to drink, especially given the plonk I have been having recently. This must be one of the "good" bottles then and, boy, what a good bottle it was too.

I poured some into a glass and decanted the rest. The nose was stunning from the outset. A touch of brett, traditional CdP tones of barnyard and leather and distinct whiffs of alcohol (cue fear of over-cooked, bad wine), but that was followed by layer after layer of dark, ripe cherries and secondary aromas of bramble / garrigue, dried herbs and pepper and a touch of roast-beef blood. Beautifully complex. I was hoping that the palate would follow through on the nose. It was a bit tight initially, but still very good. Medium bodied, but rather dense, it attacked with a burst of heat (cue fear again), high acid, almost a bit tart (a real suprise for me here) and firm tannins. However, there was real intensity and power in the ripe fruit that underlay that firm backbone, dark cherries wrapped in leather, and a really long finish with spice, leather notes, cedar wood some roasted flavours. I started smiling with glee.

After an hour in the decanter, the secondary flavours faded slightly, but I am glad to say that the alcohol heat dissipated as well, leaving a sweet, ripe and rather higher-toned nose of cherries and rasberries - almost kirsch like. The palate had taken on licorice flavours, and the wine finished more with a ferrous minerality, more red meat and the lingering flavour of haw flakes. More roasted notes too. After two hours, the roasted notes, any sourness and hints of brett subsided, and the wine took on really rich, ripe cherry and rasberry flavours, with just a hint of raisins here and there. The palate was plush and layered, while the tannins and acid became a little more noticeable, it was all very seamless. Lovely.

Overall, I think this is a really, really good wine. Not your typical Clos des Papes, but then neither is the monumental 2005, both wines being denser, thicker and rather riper than what I am used too from this producer. I think the 2005 is a shade better, given its massive structure and super-fresh acid that gives a tremendous sense of balance to the rich fruit. Still, I enjoyed every bit of this excellent bottle and, considering the secondary flavours that were there when I first opened the bottle and the firm backbone of the wine, I think that it will be a real beauty in 5 years time.

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