The fruit remains strong and in perfect harmony with the structural elements of earth, iron and leather. Long finish. Seems to have a few years left but I will not wait before opening another. It is that good.
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Gained weight, complexity as it opened. Initially very light bodied and a tad too sweet. After 20-30 minutes it had more sweet prune, Asian spices, chewy tannins. Definitely on the downslope but a good light bodied red with more mellow CDP like features that’s very enjoyable if your expectations are appropriately calibrated.
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Fully mature nose of raisin, bay leaves, blackberry and charcuterie. Peppar and tobacco. Plum and meat stock. Very typical and quite complex. Fullish, sweet-fruity palate. Liquorice, dried plum and flowers. Some gravels. Fiery and typical. Mature but well preserved. A tad simple on palate than on nose. A pointe.
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Hoping for a good treat from this 2005 but wine lacked power. Was fully evolved and very mellow but fruit subdued. Cork dark magenta and fines in last glass. Don't think it was past prime; just not a lot of stuffing present to begin with. Did seem to be a good food wine, as it wasn't overpowering and will let meat show through, taking off a bit of the edge. Ready now.
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Decided to PnP having read some comments on here. Half bottle tonight, other half vacuvined. Roast lamb in the oven. rich garnet core fading to a pinky orange rim. On the immediate nose spice and wood, followed after a few swirls, with pepper. On the palate, rich, rounded, with noticable acidity and tannin on the palate with hints of tart fruit that become almost medicinal. With food the tannins and acidity worked well to offset the richness of the lamb (shoulder so quite fatty), and in interaction with the food some dormant tart red fruit favours appeared. Day 2 and the wine has mellowed. It drank very well with the left over lamb now turned into shepherds pie. The nose is more muted, and the alcohol more to the fore. Rich and almost creamy on the palate, the tannins have softened. This is the only bottle I have of this wine from a mixed case of CNdPs from TWS, so I've nothing to compare it with. It's pleasant, certainly not great or outstanding, and best drunk with food. Won't be seeking out this wine, regardless of the vintage, in the future. Unusually in my experience, hardly any sediment for a CNdP.
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75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 3% total: Cinsault, Vaccarèse, & Counoise, vines ≈40-45 yrs of age grown in soils of 50% galet stones, 20% red gravel/marls, 20% brown soils, & 10% sand/compacted sandstone; 30% destemmed; Aged 12-18 mos, 20% in concrete, 20% demi muids, & 60% foudres; [Compiled from Jancis Robinson, drinkrhone.com , & the winery's URL.]
N: Attractively RIPE with notes of oxygenation, the rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which DOES *quite* resolve by the LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now IF one can tolerate the mid-P structure, though it certainly has the stuffing to at least APPROACH its 20th. 14.5% ABV; My EXC, poss more with just a bit more age. 18, 17.5, & 17/20 (2x) Janice Robinson, 4*(*)/5* & a "terroir wine" from drinkrhone.com, + NUMEROUS "Critic Reviews" in the wine-searcher "Tasting Notes" link to the upper right.
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Herb crusted lamb chops were on he menu and I wanted to find a wine with savory notes and moderate structure to match. This did the trick. A more warm, red, mourvedre style complexion. Nice shimmer in the glass. Not the most dynamic CdP but delivered a good mouthfeel and red fruit and dried herbs/spices aroma. Was outgunned by a pair of '01s served around the same time (Pegau, Chave Hermitage - serious juice), but was happy with how the Bosquet had held up over time. Seems to be in a nice drinking plateau right now, my guess it will hold here for a while.
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Last bottle, and a really good one at that. The Bosquet '05 is now fully developed with complex, highly typical aromas and a silky smooth, viscous texture. Served slightly chilled the alcohol isn't a problem, and the moderate perceived sweetness goes well with our selection of cheeses - tomme de chèvre and truffle pecorino. A real treat! Most likely won't benefit from further ageing, although well cellared bottles should keep for the rest of the decade.
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Nice wine. Has the right amount of age on it to resolve some of the lackluster characteristics I found when I last tried this vintage, some 7 years ago. Which is one of the reasons I'm so intrigued with wine...that I can lay a bottle down and come back to it after many years and behold the evolution of the chemistry contained in a bottle of liquid. Sometimes it doesn't work out for the better but in this case it has....Oh what fun. So yes, the wine has rounded out well and has a pleasant if understated bouquet of red fruits. Just a hint of blackberry, but mostly spice and wood notes. Medium body and medium length. Breathed off a bit of petrol funk in the first 30 minutes and then continued to improve over a 6 hr decant when it finally got finished off. Overall I think that the offering is still a bit below par for where I would like to see a CdP, especially from a not so bad vintage. Additional age might still clean this wine up a bit and help reveal some of its finer notes. Its resolved now and the acid tannin balance is quite good, but my sense is that another 4-5 years wouldn't be a bad thing for this one.
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Pretty funky in the nose department- "barnyard" is cutting it some slack. Also, initially it was a bit astringent and muddled. Just a bit brown around the edges - and this bottle has been cellared very carefully. Over about one hour it opened up a bit and near the end it was much more pleasant to drink, but still was, as others have noted, short on the usual, classic CDP characteristics. Probably time to drink up, if you have it, and let it breathe for at least an hour
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Bandaid on the nose. On the palate, muted raspberry with notes of iodine, white pepper, anise, and orange peel on the medium finish. This is distinctively from Chateauneuf, but there is surprisingly little fruit in evidence, although many pleasant earthy notes come through strongly. No flaws, and it's perfectly enjoyable, but it falls a bit short of what I usually look for in a Chateauneuf.
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I was underwhelmed by this wine and tend to agree with simonj ( 4/5/14 note ). I think this wine lacks fruit and has little to offer on the bouquet. On the palate it offers up a lack of fruit and some astringency although the tannins are receeding. Reading some of the tasting notes I wondered if I might be drinking a different wine. Drink up as I have no hope of a better future.
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Lots of strawberries and licourice, with some herbs and a hint of leather. Smooth tannins and good acidity, this is a very balanced and drinkable wine. Maturing, and drinking very well right now, but will keep.
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Sampled over 2 hours. Quite open for a 2005. It's in a good place right now. Drink or hold a couple more years. Well-defined nose. Raspberry, licorice, and plum. Noticeably thinner than the old vine cuvee we had the pleasure of trying a while ago (2004 Chante Le Merle) from the same producer. Otherwise, a classic example: Everything is in place, although I can't say it's unique in style. 89-90. This was kept in ideal conditions the past several years, BTW. While the nose is open from the start, it's best to let it breath for 30-45 minutes.
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Wide open, lovely, complex nose! Raspberry and orange juices, a beautiful floral component, decomposing garrigue undergrowth, salty liquorice, hints of fig and farine sugar, among other notes. On the midweight palate we find developed flavours that mirror the nose, with enjoyable refreshing acidity, smooth texture, elegant tannic grip, and an intense saline minerality on the long finish. Highly drinkable now, should keep for a few years more.
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young, vibrant and delicious! jammy, plummy, some hot stones in the finish. great nose and color; full mouthful and a nice smooth finish. it can age but I think its also drinking quite well now.
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Lovely development and complexity on the nose - notes of oriental spice, dried figs, raspberry coulis, licorice fern (polypody), garrigue and salty seaweed. Seductively smooth and silky on the first sips, the structure shines through after a few hours of air. Blood-orange acidity, tangy tannins, slight dryness. Solid mineral core and a long spicy finish without any excessive heat. We like it a lot, but not any more than we did a year ago. So - perhaps it's time to speed up the consumption rate.
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This has transformed a bit. In it's youth, this was bursting of red fruit that now has turned darker. Sure, there's raspberry there, but also so much garrigue and licorice that the fruit feels darker. Acidity is great, tannins are sweet and round, there's meat and seaweed and it's lovely with our lambchops and oven-roasted vegetables, but even better to a bit of Comté for after. Served at around 15 degrees Celsius, there is no alcohol, just a touch of warmth. Lovely traditional CH9. If you have a few bottles I would open one now and find out if it is at/or close to your personal sweetspot. It's not going downhill, but I'm not totally convinced it's going to get a lot better either.
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Dry, nutty, leathery aroma with dusty blackcurrant and liquorice. Nice, but the fruit is at the bottom of an old wooden cabinet and I'm not sure it wants to come out again. 89 points.
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Our Friday tasting group was served this wine in double-blind fashion, with the bottle generously provided by D.S. It shows an opaque garnet robe and has an evolved nose of tobacco, pickling spice, raspberry, loam and leather. The wine is medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with relatively high acidity and medium, slightly dry tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14.5%) is a bit noticeable, although this could have been mitigated with a slightly lower serving temperature. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate is solid. The medium finish concludes with a whiff of heat. Tasting this wine blindly led to virtually all tasters being "stumped." While very enjoyable, it seemed to be at a more advanced stage than expected. Perhaps this was idiosyncratic to this particular bottle, but it would probably be prudent for those who have bottles in their cellar to pop a cork for "diagnostic purposes." Drink now-12/15.
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Gourmetklubbens Femtonde middag (A+N, Duvbo): Dark brick-red colour. On the nose there's a nice mixture of licorice, black currant, white pepper and violets mixed with a dense tone of meat broth. The palate is very powerful with a nice balance of fruit and tannines.
Peppery, sticky tarry, roasted blackberry flavors. Probably needs a few more years or more air to fully shine, but this is a well-constructed wine that is distinctly Rhone. I will aim to drink my last bottle after 2015.
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nose: nice and brambly nose with tones of black fruits, garrigue, pepper, dark spices and a small bit of leather. Well balanced, but slightly shy even after nearly 2 hours in the decanter
taste: medium bodied with good supporting tannins. Medium acidity with well balanced tones of garrigue, black fruits, dark red cherries, a touch of liqueur and some leather tones as well with a bit of licorice too
overall: this has started to develop nicely in the past 4 years. It's holding back a slight bit right now, but the feel is real nice. This should take a few more years, but doesn't seem to be a full distance runner
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Showing a nice and pleasant maturity but still the structure of the vintage reminds itself through the rather vivid tannins. The nose is nicely integrated with dark mature fruit and strawberries en masse. The medium to full-bodied palate has a slight raisiny touch and reveals all the classic components. There is no reason to hold off on drinking remaining bottles. (score is 89-90)
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Decanted 30 minutes prior to consumption. Although the wine didn't show much complexity, I think it has the fruit and components remaining to improve in a couple years.
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Mario and Joann came over for a great meal of bone in rib eye, as to kick things off, we opened the Bosquet CdP. I was a deep dark purple in the glass and lots of exotic florals on the nose. It also had a meaty jerky like smell to it as well. I had been working on a plum dessert so I don’t know if it was the power of suggestion, we all got a bit of plum and berries on the nose. In the mouth, it was less complex. Perhaps this has a way to go yet, but it was very pleasant. Even the white wine drinker were enjoying the fullness and easy going style. It was served with a plate of cream cheese with a chipotle raspberry drizzle.
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Nice color almost inky purple. We served out bey the pool in nice but plastic wine glasses but it still showed its viscosity. It had some earthy fell to it, but essence of fruits like berries. Enough spiciness to make interesting but not dwell on it. This was a good pour to describe a CdP.
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They say perfecting the Grenache grape is a true art form. This was a real work of art. I opened this on fluke after working on the inventory. I had not remembered the essence of a CDP and was anxious to get reacquainted. The aroma was heavy with flowers, spices, and minerals. It was very dark and purple and was thick as it grabbed the sides of the glass. After about 40 minutes I took a swig and at first it was almost too merlotish. Dirt and clay came to mind. Then I got some fruits like plums cherries and currants, although I can’t say I have ever had a bowl of currants. The good news was it had all the attributes that Devin likes. It did not have that big Bordeaux type tannic smell that turns some people off. I served it with some kick ass barbeque chicken, garlic bread and Caesar salad. It was good to the last drop. Glad I waited three to pop a top.
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Probably should've held on to this for a bit longer, but it was very good. Paired with beef stew. This wine is very fresh. Medium-bodied with lively fruit and classic CdP garrigue. Hold for another couple of years.
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Was well-received by the whole crew at Christmas Eve dinner. Nice black cherry/leather aroma, and a hint of spice. Good mouthfeel with same components mentioned earlier. Respectably long finish. Accompanied a pork crown roast quite nicely, but I think I'll wait a while before I pop my next one of these.
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Warm nose with strawberry, sugar and more black fruit. In the beginning lovely sweet and juicy, but also dense with great intensity. Later it was more youthfull and a little hard, with pepper and licorice, but interesting wine
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Very closed and typical nose of chateauneuf with punchy currant notes. Medium bodied. Color - garnet. Slight rim. Cherries, raspberries and blackberries on the front pallet with a solid feel. Medium tannins. Currant on the back pallet. Slight citrus and vanilla on the nasal finish. Medium length finish. Over a 2 hour decant it lost some cherry and picked up more vanilla and the finish lengthened. Average Chateauneuf - would not restock given the price point, instead will look for better for just a few dollars more. 86
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Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting - Seattle: Bright dark red in the glass with a nose of high toned red fruit. The palate was high toned as well with strong concentration and tannins. Too young and primary to tell much. A nice wine that probably received the least mention by the group.
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Some Lesser Known 2005 Chateauneufs (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): This starts with a bit of funk, but its deep cherry fruit rapidly asserts itself, and it also develops attractive high floral tones. Again, medium weight, very nice sweetness of fruit, and some real tannic clout that curtails the finish at this point. Very good now and will likely be better in a few years.
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Nice deep violet/purple color, roasted meats and herbs on the nose but gave way to fruit over a 24 hour period. dark fruits, black cherry, a little blueberry, and some braised/roasted meat again on the mouth. nice finish. Very well balanced.
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nose: sumptuous nose of black berries, black licorice, garrigue, cracked pepper, and black cherry
taste: really nice filling feel on the palate with black licorice, black cherry, garrigue, and cracked pepper. the black fruit is really pronounced
overall: really nice and rich wine with loads of black fruit and peppers. Wonderful structure on this and a really nice dark finish. This is a really excellent wine that will develop very nicely
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Tasted unblinded at home, without food. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing moderately-intense aromas of roasted herbs, black cherry, licorice and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, big ripe tannins and flavors which mirror the nose. Medium, smooth finish. This wine is an amazing value, nicely representing the style of the producer as well as the vintage. It should drink beautifully for at least a decade.
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6/20/2022 - Brain Capers Likes this wine:
Pizza Mundo, hot, but what the heck, just a rich CDP, drinking very nice, yum. Excellent!
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6/26/2021 - whudock Likes this wine: 92 Points
The fruit remains strong and in perfect harmony with the structural elements of earth, iron and leather. Long finish. Seems to have a few years left but I will not wait before opening another. It is that good.
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2/27/2021 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Gained weight, complexity as it opened. Initially very light bodied and a tad too sweet. After 20-30 minutes it had more sweet prune, Asian spices, chewy tannins. Definitely on the downslope but a good light bodied red with more mellow CDP like features that’s very enjoyable if your expectations are appropriately calibrated.
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2/5/2021 - Argrath wrote: 90 Points
Fully mature nose of raisin, bay leaves, blackberry and charcuterie. Peppar and tobacco. Plum and meat stock. Very typical and quite complex.
Fullish, sweet-fruity palate. Liquorice, dried plum and flowers. Some gravels. Fiery and typical. Mature but well preserved. A tad simple on palate than on nose. A pointe.
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10/10/2020 - thewiz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gourmetklubbens fyrtiosjunde middag (A+N, Sundbyberg): (Decanted for one hour)
Maturing with herbs, olives and some white pepper and still showing some tannins on the intense finish.
(Best 2015-2030)
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7/3/2020 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 89 Points
Hoping for a good treat from this 2005 but wine lacked power. Was fully evolved and very mellow but fruit subdued. Cork dark magenta and fines in last glass. Don't think it was past prime; just not a lot of stuffing present to begin with. Did seem to be a good food wine, as it wasn't overpowering and will let meat show through, taking off a bit of the edge. Ready now.
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3/8/2020 - rwpalmer wrote: 88 Points
Soft, mature but holding on what I would take to be a plateau that could last another 5 years.
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3/26/2019 - ProfAvi Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decided to PnP having read some comments on here.
Half bottle tonight, other half vacuvined.
Roast lamb in the oven.
rich garnet core fading to a pinky orange rim.
On the immediate nose spice and wood, followed after a few swirls, with pepper.
On the palate, rich, rounded, with noticable acidity and tannin on the palate with hints of tart fruit that become almost medicinal.
With food the tannins and acidity worked well to offset the richness of the lamb (shoulder so quite fatty), and in interaction with the food some dormant tart red fruit favours appeared.
Day 2 and the wine has mellowed. It drank very well with the left over lamb now turned into shepherds pie. The nose is more muted, and the alcohol more to the fore. Rich and almost creamy on the palate, the tannins have softened.
This is the only bottle I have of this wine from a mixed case of CNdPs from TWS, so I've nothing to compare it with.
It's pleasant, certainly not great or outstanding, and best drunk with food.
Won't be seeking out this wine, regardless of the vintage, in the future. Unusually in my experience, hardly any sediment for a CNdP.
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10/6/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 10/05/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK you sharing this treat, Ed!
75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 3% total: Cinsault, Vaccarèse, & Counoise, vines ≈40-45 yrs of age grown in soils of 50% galet stones, 20% red gravel/marls, 20% brown soils, & 10% sand/compacted sandstone; 30% destemmed; Aged 12-18 mos, 20% in concrete, 20% demi muids, & 60% foudres; [Compiled from Jancis Robinson, drinkrhone.com , & the winery's URL.]
N: Attractively RIPE with notes of oxygenation, the rest tough to parse; Intensity lurking
P: Med body; NICE frt fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which DOES *quite* resolve by the LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now IF one can tolerate the mid-P structure, though it certainly has the stuffing to at least APPROACH its 20th. 14.5% ABV; My EXC, poss more with just a bit more age. 18, 17.5, & 17/20 (2x) Janice Robinson, 4*(*)/5* & a "terroir wine" from drinkrhone.com, + NUMEROUS "Critic Reviews" in the wine-searcher "Tasting Notes" link to the upper right.
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8/24/2018 - btock wrote: 89 Points
Herb crusted lamb chops were on he menu and I wanted to find a wine with savory notes and moderate structure to match. This did the trick. A more warm, red, mourvedre style complexion. Nice shimmer in the glass. Not the most dynamic CdP but delivered a good mouthfeel and red fruit and dried herbs/spices aroma. Was outgunned by a pair of '01s served around the same time (Pegau, Chave Hermitage - serious juice), but was happy with how the Bosquet had held up over time. Seems to be in a nice drinking plateau right now, my guess it will hold here for a while.
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7/21/2016 - Finare Vinare wrote: 91 Points
Last bottle, and a really good one at that. The Bosquet '05 is now fully developed with complex, highly typical aromas and a silky smooth, viscous texture. Served slightly chilled the alcohol isn't a problem, and the moderate perceived sweetness goes well with our selection of cheeses - tomme de chèvre and truffle pecorino. A real treat! Most likely won't benefit from further ageing, although well cellared bottles should keep for the rest of the decade.
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11/27/2015 - cristian_m wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine. Has the right amount of age on it to resolve some of the lackluster characteristics I found when I last tried this vintage, some 7 years ago. Which is one of the reasons I'm so intrigued with wine...that I can lay a bottle down and come back to it after many years and behold the evolution of the chemistry contained in a bottle of liquid. Sometimes it doesn't work out for the better but in this case it has....Oh what fun.
So yes, the wine has rounded out well and has a pleasant if understated bouquet of red fruits. Just a hint of blackberry, but mostly spice and wood notes. Medium body and medium length. Breathed off a bit of petrol funk in the first 30 minutes and then continued to improve over a 6 hr decant when it finally got finished off.
Overall I think that the offering is still a bit below par for where I would like to see a CdP, especially from a not so bad vintage.
Additional age might still clean this wine up a bit and help reveal some of its finer notes. Its resolved now and the acid tannin balance is quite good, but my sense is that another 4-5 years wouldn't be a bad thing for this one.
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9/26/2015 - drtroppo wrote: 87 Points
Pretty funky in the nose department- "barnyard" is cutting it some slack. Also, initially it was a bit astringent and muddled. Just a bit brown around the edges - and this bottle has been cellared very carefully. Over about one hour it opened up a bit and near the end it was much more pleasant to drink, but still was, as others have noted, short on the usual, classic CDP characteristics. Probably time to drink up, if you have it, and let it breathe for at least an hour
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6/17/2015 - CADomer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Showed nicely. Soft ripe red fruit with hints of savory notes. There was a flutter of violets on the nose that was quite nice.
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4/9/2015 - RichardP wrote: 88 Points
Bandaid on the nose. On the palate, muted raspberry with notes of iodine, white pepper, anise, and orange peel on the medium finish. This is distinctively from Chateauneuf, but there is surprisingly little fruit in evidence, although many pleasant earthy notes come through strongly. No flaws, and it's perfectly enjoyable, but it falls a bit short of what I usually look for in a Chateauneuf.
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10/20/2014 - gout wrote: 84 Points
I was underwhelmed by this wine and tend to agree with simonj ( 4/5/14 note ). I think this wine lacks fruit and has little to offer on the bouquet. On the palate it offers up a lack of fruit and some astringency although the tannins are receeding. Reading some of the tasting notes I wondered if I might be drinking a different wine. Drink up as I have no hope of a better future.
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8/10/2014 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2005 CdP Traditional Cuvees vs. Tete de Cuvees (Neil's): Garnet color with notes of white currants, spice and red fruit. The palate follows the bouquet, adding pepper, vanilla and tapenade qualities.
My #7, Domino's #2
Group #7, 65 pts
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7/12/2014 - mmh wrote: 90 Points
Lots of strawberries and licourice, with some herbs and a hint of leather. Smooth tannins and good acidity, this is a very balanced and drinkable wine. Maturing, and drinking very well right now, but will keep.
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5/4/2014 - simonj wrote: 89 Points
Spice and plenty of white pepper but unfortunately not much else. Tannin is fading, I can't see much improvement from here.
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3/29/2014 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sampled over 2 hours. Quite open for a 2005. It's in a good place right now. Drink or hold a couple more years. Well-defined nose. Raspberry, licorice, and plum. Noticeably thinner than the old vine cuvee we had the pleasure of trying a while ago (2004 Chante Le Merle) from the same producer.
Otherwise, a classic example: Everything is in place, although I can't say it's unique in style. 89-90.
This was kept in ideal conditions the past several years, BTW.
While the nose is open from the start, it's best to let it breath for 30-45 minutes.
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3/19/2014 - Finare Vinare wrote: 91 Points
Wide open, lovely, complex nose! Raspberry and orange juices, a beautiful floral component, decomposing garrigue undergrowth, salty liquorice, hints of fig and farine sugar, among other notes. On the midweight palate we find developed flavours that mirror the nose, with enjoyable refreshing acidity, smooth texture, elegant tannic grip, and an intense saline minerality on the long finish. Highly drinkable now, should keep for a few years more.
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1/26/2014 - winelover1808 wrote: 92 Points
young, vibrant and delicious! jammy, plummy, some hot stones in the finish. great nose and color; full mouthful and a nice smooth finish. it can age but I think its also drinking quite well now.
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1/18/2014 - simonj wrote: 89 Points
Powerful but balanced with subtle fruit coming through. Still a bit of astringentcy however. Try again in few months.
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6/26/2013 - Finare Vinare wrote: 91 Points
Lovely development and complexity on the nose - notes of oriental spice, dried figs, raspberry coulis, licorice fern (polypody), garrigue and salty seaweed. Seductively smooth and silky on the first sips, the structure shines through after a few hours of air. Blood-orange acidity, tangy tannins, slight dryness. Solid mineral core and a long spicy finish without any excessive heat. We like it a lot, but not any more than we did a year ago. So - perhaps it's time to speed up the consumption rate.
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3/24/2013 - Billy Swan Likes this wine:
This has transformed a bit. In it's youth, this was bursting of red fruit that now has turned darker. Sure, there's raspberry there, but also so much garrigue and licorice that the fruit feels darker. Acidity is great, tannins are sweet and round, there's meat and seaweed and it's lovely with our lambchops and oven-roasted vegetables, but even better to a bit of Comté for after. Served at around 15 degrees Celsius, there is no alcohol, just a touch of warmth. Lovely traditional CH9. If you have a few bottles I would open one now and find out if it is at/or close to your personal sweetspot. It's not going downhill, but I'm not totally convinced it's going to get a lot better either.
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3/11/2013 - Dj6544 wrote: 89 Points
Dry, nutty, leathery aroma with dusty blackcurrant and liquorice. Nice, but the fruit is at the bottom of an old wooden cabinet and I'm not sure it wants to come out again. 89 points.
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3/8/2013 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 90 Points
Our Friday tasting group was served this wine in double-blind fashion, with the bottle generously provided by D.S. It shows an opaque garnet robe and has an evolved nose of tobacco, pickling spice, raspberry, loam and leather. The wine is medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with relatively high acidity and medium, slightly dry tannins. The alcohol (listed as 14.5%) is a bit noticeable, although this could have been mitigated with a slightly lower serving temperature. The flavors mirror the nose and the middle palate is solid. The medium finish concludes with a whiff of heat. Tasting this wine blindly led to virtually all tasters being "stumped." While very enjoyable, it seemed to be at a more advanced stage than expected. Perhaps this was idiosyncratic to this particular bottle, but it would probably be prudent for those who have bottles in their cellar to pop a cork for "diagnostic purposes." Drink now-12/15.
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11/19/2012 - Scottlmatthews wrote: 91 Points
Much better with the time.
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11/16/2012 - PC73 wrote:
Overall I was impressed with this. Lovely rich nose of dark fruits but of pepper and spice. Rich and rounded on the palate. Lots of fruit and smoothe.
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9/15/2012 - thewiz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gourmetklubbens Femtonde middag (A+N, Duvbo): Dark brick-red colour. On the nose there's a nice mixture of licorice, black currant, white pepper and violets mixed with a dense tone of meat broth. The palate is very powerful with a nice balance of fruit and tannines.
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3/17/2012 - otisabdul wrote: 90 Points
Peppery, sticky tarry, roasted blackberry flavors. Probably needs a few more years or more air to fully shine, but this is a well-constructed wine that is distinctly Rhone. I will aim to drink my last bottle after 2015.
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3/10/2012 - Johehn wrote:
Flaw
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3/8/2012 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
nose: nice and brambly nose with tones of black fruits, garrigue, pepper, dark spices and a small bit of leather. Well balanced, but slightly shy even after nearly 2 hours in the decanter
taste: medium bodied with good supporting tannins. Medium acidity with well balanced tones of garrigue, black fruits, dark red cherries, a touch of liqueur and some leather tones as well with a bit of licorice too
overall: this has started to develop nicely in the past 4 years. It's holding back a slight bit right now, but the feel is real nice. This should take a few more years, but doesn't seem to be a full distance runner
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2/25/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 89 Points
Showing a nice and pleasant maturity but still the structure of the vintage reminds itself through the rather vivid tannins. The nose is nicely integrated with dark mature fruit and strawberries en masse. The medium to full-bodied palate has a slight raisiny touch and reveals all the classic components. There is no reason to hold off on drinking remaining bottles. (score is 89-90)
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1/28/2012 - Winepirate wrote:
Served with braised short ribs & mushroom risotto at a friend's house. Was once again well-received by all, but still developing.
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4/2/2011 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Churchill's: Customer Appreciation (Maumee, OH): Huge open nose. Medium+ tannins, acidic, medium body. Mature, representative.
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1/29/2011 - Stephanne wrote: 89 Points
Leave in carafe for 30min minimum. Complex taste of dark fruit
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1/29/2011 - Stephanne wrote: 89 Points
Very good leave in carafe for at least 30min
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1/9/2011 - cseanb1 wrote: 85 Points
Decanted 30 minutes prior to consumption. Although the wine didn't show much complexity, I think it has the fruit and components remaining to improve in a couple years.
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7/17/2010 - ewineguy wrote: 90 Points
Mario and Joann came over for a great meal of bone in rib eye, as to kick things off, we opened the Bosquet CdP. I was a deep dark purple in the glass and lots of exotic florals on the nose. It also had a meaty jerky like smell to it as well. I had been working on a plum dessert so I don’t know if it was the power of suggestion, we all got a bit of plum and berries on the nose. In the mouth, it was less complex. Perhaps this has a way to go yet, but it was very pleasant. Even the white wine drinker were enjoying the fullness and easy going style. It was served with a plate of cream cheese with a chipotle raspberry drizzle.
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6/27/2010 - ewineguy wrote: 89 Points
Nice color almost inky purple. We served out bey the pool in nice but plastic wine glasses but it still showed its viscosity. It had some earthy fell to it, but essence of fruits like berries. Enough spiciness to make interesting but not dwell on it. This was a good pour to describe a CdP.
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6/24/2010 - CADomer wrote: 91 Points
Very nice richness of fruit and leather on the nose. The palate was savory smoked fruit, meat, and black licorice.
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6/4/2010 - ewineguy wrote: 91 Points
They say perfecting the Grenache grape is a true art form. This was a real work of art. I opened this on fluke after working on the inventory. I had not remembered the essence of a CDP and was anxious to get reacquainted. The aroma was heavy with flowers, spices, and minerals. It was very dark and purple and was thick as it grabbed the sides of the glass. After about 40 minutes I took a swig and at first it was almost too merlotish. Dirt and clay came to mind. Then I got some fruits like plums cherries and currants, although I can’t say I have ever had a bowl of currants. The good news was it had all the attributes that Devin likes. It did not have that big Bordeaux type tannic smell that turns some people off. I served it with some kick ass barbeque chicken, garlic bread and Caesar salad. It was good to the last drop. Glad I waited three to pop a top.
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1/14/2010 - jrmcquill wrote: 89 Points
Probably should've held on to this for a bit longer, but it was very good. Paired with beef stew. This wine is very fresh. Medium-bodied with lively fruit and classic CdP garrigue. Hold for another couple of years.
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12/24/2009 - Winepirate wrote:
Was well-received by the whole crew at Christmas Eve dinner. Nice black cherry/leather aroma, and a hint of spice. Good mouthfeel with same components mentioned earlier. Respectably long finish. Accompanied a pork crown roast quite nicely, but I think I'll wait a while before I pop my next one of these.
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12/13/2009 - Whitman wrote: 91 Points
Warm nose with strawberry, sugar and more black fruit. In the beginning lovely sweet and juicy, but also dense with great intensity. Later it was more youthfull and a little hard, with pepper and licorice, but interesting wine
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5/23/2009 - azahoner wrote: 89 Points
Bright acidity, depth, and density. With a big gliceryn layer, is long and powerfull. Great nose of over-matured fruit. I loved it.
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12/26/2008 - cristian_m wrote: 86 Points
Very closed and typical nose of chateauneuf with punchy currant notes. Medium bodied. Color - garnet. Slight rim. Cherries, raspberries and blackberries on the front pallet with a solid feel. Medium tannins. Currant on the back pallet. Slight citrus and vanilla on the nasal finish. Medium length finish. Over a 2 hour decant it lost some cherry and picked up more vanilla and the finish lengthened. Average Chateauneuf - would not restock given the price point, instead will look for better for just a few dollars more. 86
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12/13/2008 - peteng wrote: 90 Points
Red berries, raspberries and toffee. Tannins to keep it going for a long life
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10/21/2008 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Trip to France; 10/13/2008-10/24/2008 (Burgundy, Rhone Valley (Chateauneuf-du-Pape), Paris): Nose was a little closed, with game and dark fruits. Firm palate with fine tannins, with plum and currant up front, and prominent cedar and cigar box. Medium length finish with game and earthy notes, leather, smoke and cigar. Nice, should improve over next 10 years.
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6/28/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
Chateauneuf du Pape Tasting - Seattle: Bright dark red in the glass with a nose of high toned red fruit. The palate was high toned as well with strong concentration and tannins. Too young and primary to tell much. A nice wine that probably received the least mention by the group.
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6/14/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Some Lesser Known 2005 Chateauneufs (Vin Vino, Palo Alto): This starts with a bit of funk, but its deep cherry fruit rapidly asserts itself, and it also develops attractive high floral tones. Again, medium weight, very nice sweetness of fruit, and some real tannic clout that curtails the finish at this point. Very good now and will likely be better in a few years.
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3/26/2008 - pdrago wrote: 91 Points
Nice deep violet/purple color, roasted meats and herbs on the nose but gave way to fruit over a 24 hour period. dark fruits, black cherry, a little blueberry, and some braised/roasted meat again on the mouth. nice finish. Very well balanced.
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2/29/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
nose: sumptuous nose of black berries, black licorice, garrigue, cracked pepper, and black cherry
taste: really nice filling feel on the palate with black licorice, black cherry, garrigue, and cracked pepper. the black fruit is really pronounced
overall: really nice and rich wine with loads of black fruit and peppers. Wonderful structure on this and a really nice dark finish. This is a really excellent wine that will develop very nicely
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11/30/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at home. Similar impression to 9/9/07.
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10/27/2007 - duchamp wrote:
Red Carpet Wine (Tasting) - Very traditional cuvee, rustic tannins lost of garrigue with a long sweet finish (90-92)
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10/26/2007 - EMichels wrote: 84 Points
Red Carpet Wine Tasting: Great nose; Light wine
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9/15/2007 - Morten Kiernan wrote: 80 Points
Chateauneuf du Pape smagning ved Michel Blanc (The Wine Company): brown red. Dusty on the nose. pretty boring, not much to tell.
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9/9/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
Tasted unblinded at home, without food. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with violet rim. Clean nose, showing moderately-intense aromas of roasted herbs, black cherry, licorice and earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, big ripe tannins and flavors which mirror the nose. Medium, smooth finish. This wine is an amazing value, nicely representing the style of the producer as well as the vintage. It should drink beautifully for at least a decade.
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