2007 Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape

Happy Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of November which means it's Cellar Saturday, that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a bottle I found while rummaging for a half case of a 2004 Rhone that I mentioned to someone last week, and there is was, the 2007 Domaine Berthet-Rayne Chateauneuf du Pape, a bottle that I bought more than 10 years ago when I was still living in Grand Rapids.  This wine of the Pope is fairly traditional in terms of blend, with Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (20%), Cinsault (10%) and Syrah (5%) from the southern Rhone region of France.  So, let's see how this wine is tasting!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass with great clarity, with just a hint of amber along the edges which comes with this level of maturity.  A gentle swirl reveals aromas of black cherry, herbs de Provence and earthy notes of tar and basalt.  Take a sip and you're awash with warm fruit and spice, strawberry, cherry and currant with hints of black pepper spice that transitions easily to some notes of peat and tobacco midpalate.  The tannins are still well structured and provide a wonderful base to the smooth dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a very pleasing example of this classic Rhone blend that would pair well with a range of dishes, from lamb to bouillabaisse, braised beef short ribs to hearty mushroom risotto.  Cheers!

2007 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape

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!

2008 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige

Well, happy Groundhog Day Eve!  It's the first of February, and the first Saturday of the new month, which means it's Cellar Saturday, that magical time when I raid the cellar for something at least a decade in the making.  Tonight I've opened a classic Rhône blend that's been maturing for a while, the 2008 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige!  As a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault, so let's see how this one has developed over the last dozen years!

The wine is a deep ruby color, with a hint of amber along the edges, and a bit darker in the center.  The nose presents aromas of kirsch, olive tapenade and a hint of lavender, a very meaty set of aromas.  The taste is surprisingly fruit forward, with lots of ripe cherry and plum that transitions to some flavors of charcoal midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, providing a nice foundation for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's a bit different than your typical Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and may be somewhat of an acquired taste.  I was worried this wine might be too light, but it's a heavy bugger that's ideal for pairing with lamb or big steaks, which is a good thing, since tonight I'm enjoying this wine with a rare prime ribcap along with some oven roasted rainbow carrots.  Cheers!

2007 Domaine du Grand Tinel Chateauneuf du Pape

Happy Cellar Saturday!  It's the first Saturday of a new month, that magical day when I raid the cellar and open a bottle that's at least 10 years from harvest.  Tonight I've decided to open a wine of the Pope, the 2007 Domaine du Grand Tinel Chateauneuf du Pape, a classic blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre that traces its roots back to when the Pope was a French resident!  So let's see how this wine has matured!

The wine is a deep ruby color, a tribute to the Syrah in the blend.  The nose is a classic combination of green grass, floral notes and rich black fruit notes.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with a rush of plum, black cherry and currant that washes over the palate before transitioning to some course mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are quite reserved, providing for a wonderful, long, smooth and dry finish, with a reprise of blackberry at the end.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's just a lovely example of a nice, approachable Chateauneuf du Pape.  This wine would pair nicely with southern Mediterranean dishes, to fresh shellfish, to classic pasta dishes, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with panko crusted chicken, creamy pesto penne and haricots verts.  Cheers!

2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Well, it's the first Saturday in December, which of course means it's Cellar Saturday, that one day a month that I try to dig deep in the cellar for something with a bit of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle that's only been in my cellar for a few months, but is certainly ready to try, the 2005 Font de Michelle Cuvée Etienne Gonnet Châteauneuf-du-Pape.  This wine is a blend of Grenache (70%), Syrah (15%) and Mourvedre (15%), that should just about be ready to drink (I personally believe these wines should wait at least a decade before they are mature enough to drink).  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby in the glass, a bit darker than usual but in my view an ideal color.  The nose presents aromas of ripe fruit, plum, cherry and dates, overlaid with some wonderful dried floral and spice notes.  The taste is a nice rush of sweet fruit up front, a combination of berries and dried fruit that transition to some lovely spice notes midpalate.  The finish is quite nice, with a reprise of sweet fruit in the tannins, that play a perfect counter to the lingering dryness on the finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's a truly lovely example of a French classic.  This wine would be perfect for the holidays, pairing well with turkey, ham or lamb, but tonight I am enjoying this wine with a lovely sesame crusted seared ahi tuna filet with some steamed asparagus and jasmine rice.  Cheers!

2006 Féraud-Brunel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Tonight, to celebrate the coming of 2013 and the U.S. going over the "fiscal cliff," I decided to put my wine selection for the evening to a vote of my Facebook friends, and they didn't let me down, choosing the 2006 Féraud-Brunel Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a wonderful GSM blend to end my 2012 and welcome the new year!  Now since I gave everyone until 8:00 pm to vote, I just opened this bottle and have had no time to decant, so I've poured this glass through my aerating pourer for better effect, but it's probably advisable to let this wine breathe a bit if you have time.

The wine in the glass is a deep garnet color, about what you'd expect from a nice CdP.   The nose is very mellow, almost surprisingly so, with hints of lovely fruit, black currant, blueberry, some interesting spice notes intermingled with rose petals and the faintest bit of barnyard.  The taste is just sublime, with lovely ripe fruits bursting forth on the tongue, blueberry, ripe plum and a hint of boysenberry, transforming into some lovely jammy notes midpalate balanced with some earthy minerality.  The tannins play well creating a long, smooth finish, with lovely flavors or dark chocolate and gravel.  For a rather young wine, this one really is drinking quite well right now!

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8.5, it's a very nice example of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape that I found at a local supermarket for under $30 about a year ago.  Unfortunately it's 8:30 pm on New Year's Eve, so I'm just enjoying this wine seulement ce soir, but it would pair quite nicely with a variety of spicy dishes, or grilled meats, but I could also see it going very well with a broad array of seafood.  If you can find a bottle, I would highly recommend it!  Bon Année!