2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Felix

My knees went a little weak upon smelling this and the 2007 Domaine Bois de Boursan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Félix represents the essence of Châteauneuf. Very deep and unyielding on the nose, there’s a rock-solid core of dark fruit that’s saturated with roasted meats, garrigue, licorice, and baking spices. Just amazingly complex and nuanced while at the same time possessing awesome depth and richness, the wine is full bodied, perfectly balanced, concentrated and built for the long haul. Give bottles 3 to 5 years (the fruit makes this delicious now however) and then drink over the following two decades.

Glass-staining purple. Exotically perfumed bouquet of dark berries, flowers and herbs, along with a note of olive tapenade. Very rich, palate-coating cassis and mulberry flavors are complemented by smoky garrigue and dark chocolate, with supple tannins adding support. An emphatically rich wine that stops just this side of over the top, finishing with a strong jolt of smoky Indian spices. This is already drinking well.