Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend

Pop and poured; consumed over five days. Best on day three and four. The 2016 pours a deep garnet, bearing purple with a near opaque core. Medium+ viscosity with some fine sediment. On the nose, brambles, garrigue, lavender and borsellino. It sort of reminds me of a damp earthen basement in the most endearing of ways. On the palate, the wine the dry; medium+ tannins that build through day four before softening. Acid is medium. The fruit set from the nose is confirmed…it’s a lot of delicious fruit with some leather, black pepper and earth. Long finish. These needed some time and the rewards are beginning to show. I have another bottle left and I’ll save that for a few years down the road.

Brought to Tasting Group. My first of three bottles. Popped and poured, enjoyed over two days. Day 1 was tasted blind. This wine comes across quite primary with powerful, stewed bramble fruit, baking chocolate and baking spice notes indicating the potential use of French barrique. Medium-plus tannin. Medium acid. Overall, this is a good and enjoyable wine...but nothing really pushing the needle if I'm being honest. Most around the table declared it Bordeaux. None called Southern Rhône. Everyone was surprised when it was revealed, including me, which expected more considering my usually appreciation for this producer's CdP (known to have an unusually large amount of Mourvedre in the blend). The interesting thing was the French barrique call as I understand this wine to be aged exclusively in concrete...?? Day 2, the fruit was softer and slightly more muted. The stewed characteristics were enhanced and the structure seemed to be receding. Perhaps too early to tell where this is headed...or perhaps this just isn't the strongest vintage from Mas de Boislauzon. I have two more so we will see how some cellar time treats these.

Decanted for a two hours before we got into this bottle and then consumed over the following three hours. This is one of the more unique producers from Chateauneuf du Pape as they are known to have the most prized and oldest Mourvèdre in the region. Initially, this had the funkiest aroma, almost that of a high school locker room. Thankfully, that blew off after about five minutes. What remained was a powerful, concentrated wine with a bouquet of red and blue fruits with garrigue and exotic spices. On the palate, red cherries and baked blueberries and an unmistakable kiss of black pepper. Very good acid and sneaky tannins; characteristic of the vintage. And while the 15% abv is kept fairly well in check, it does have a touch of heat on the finish. Fun to try one now but I expect this to show better after 2025.

This is gorgeous tonight. Continue to find that Mas de Boislauzon is consistently one of the best value CNDP around, true to place and terroir driven on all fronts, from traditional cuvée to their prestige offerings. I think the hearty amount of Mourvedre and plenty of holdings in sandy dominated soils of the N/NE part of the appellation make for a remarkably dense, balanced and textural wine. I feel like some 07’s have hit their mark in the last couple years and this is in a sweet spot to me. Nose is meaty, lifted with smoke, hot stones, porcini, truffle, espresso bean, plum marmalade, lavender pastille. Palate is more kirsch, compote, cinnamon, licorice whip, candied bacon, woodsmoke, and stones again. Structurally theres a great interplay of moderate but present acid and granular tannin. Perfect foil for a bacon and mushroom cheeseburger 🤤

Incredible value, punching well above its weight class. Classic CNDP character and texture, true to form and class. There’s a deal of finesse here not often seen at this price point. To me another example of Mourvedre’s place in CNDP’s future regarding climate change. Nose is ripe and confitured blackberry, roasted black plum, Provençal herbs, mocha, hot stones. Palate confirms nose; plump black fruit framed by stony minerality, garrigue, and white pepper. Underlying savory elements of meat and smoke. Tannins are assertive yet very fine, again very stoney in character. Acid is fresh, almost has a Gigondas or elevated character to it. Pure class with plenty if soul. Will develop quite well but so delicious right now. 70 GR 30 MV

The Fall Confrerie St Etienne dinner highlighting Alsatian whites alongside French and Napa reds. A delightful evening!

One of the better CdPs I’ve had in recent memory. Red fruit dominant with typical Grenache spice, but very elegant. Almost lavender/lanolin type notes. The body gained more depth the longer it was out. This outshined its Napa counter part.

Looking forward to see where this wine goes. I see a long life ahead.

Big (as in BIG), concentrated and a bit "clumsy".
I'm not sure aging will improve the overall balance so think I would consume this over the next 5-6 years to at least enjoy the baby fat and intense fruit.

2007 - pleasant enough and aging well but not remarkable.

Young but nice