2005 Chateauneuf du Pape La Cote Ronde

Dark ruby. Deep cherry and blackcurrant aromas, with sexy anise, incense and floral character expanding with air. Lush and sweet, offering deep creme de cassis and bitter cherry flavors framed by supple tannins. Invitingly sweet and plush on the finish, which echoes the cassis and licorice qualities. This is utterly seductive today.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee La Cote Ronde is undeniably the best wine Autard has made since the 1998 rendition of this cuvee. This got a big “Wow!” when I smelled it. A stunning nose of black truffles, melted licorice, blackberries, and sweet cherries is followed by a multi-dimensional, multi-layered, full-bodied wine with tremendous power, richness, and a hint of barrique. One could say this is modern, but the Provencal personality jumps from the glass of this meaty, dense wine. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15+ years. At times proprietor Paul Autard has clearly moved into the modern school of Chateauneuf du Pape with the use of barriques, still very much a minority school, but like so many who have experimented with new oak for the Syrah or Mourvedre components, there seems to be a gradual shifting back from the percentage of new oak to larger barrel formats such as demi-muids, etc. I felt this was Paul Autard’s strongest lineup of wines since his 1998s. Represented by Russell Herman, Berkeley Heights, NJ; tel. (908) 771-9082. Various American importers.

Ruby-red. Remarkably expressive bouquet of musky plum, cherry, lavender, rose oil and cured tobacco. Dense and chewy, with deeply concentrated cherry and dark berry flavors; exotic spice notes build with air. Finishes impressively deep and rich, with firm tannins supporting the intense cherry/berry fruit. Serious stuff, and built for the long haul.