Happy Cellar Saturday! It's that magical first Saturday of the month where I raid my cellar for something at least a decade in the making. And tonight I have to admit, I am exhausted! Yesterday the city came by to pick up leaves and my pile filled two 2 1/2 ton dump trucks and today I started over again and did the front yard and roof and replaced about half the pile they just took! Needless to say if you see any funny typing on this post, I've likely fallen asleep with my head on the keyboard. Oh, the wine! Tonight I've opened a bottle of the wine of the pope, the 2007 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape, a wonderful blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre from a family that's been producing since 1345! This particular wine was produced from grapes produced by lower yielding 40-year old vines, so let's see how it's shaped up for the past 13 years!
The wine is a vibrant garnet color in the glass with a bit of amber along the edges. The nose is a pleasant combination of tart cherry, raspberry with an undertone of mint. The taste is surprisingly fruit forward, with a rush of cherry and strawberry that transitions to some earthy notes of tar and tobacco midpalate. The tannins are soft but well structured, providing an ideal foundation for the smooth, dry finish that lingers on the palate with a reprise of raspberry.
Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, it's a well done example of a nice Chateuneuf du Pape with all the character you could want. This wine would pair well with a variety of fall dishes, from roasts and stews, to pasta or risotto. Tonight I am going a bit off the beaten track, as my local market had a special on chicken leg quarters for just 19￠ a pound, the only catch was you had to buy a 10-pound bag! So I've been enjoying a lot of chicken this week including tonight as I've made some chicken Tikka Marsala over some basmati rice to go with this wine. Cheers!
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