2015 Chateauneuf du Pape

Deep ruby. Bright, mineral-tinged red and blue fruit and floral pastille aromas, along with hints of musky earth and garrigue in the background. Sappy, penetrating raspberry and boysenberry flavors show impressive clarity and smoothly blend power and finesse. A spine of juicy acidity provides freshness and structure and a peppery note lends a spicy edge to the back half. Finishes very long and appealingly sweet, displaying silky texture, slow-building tannins and an echo of ripe red fruit.

Bottled February 2016. Very early! White-pepper nose. Then racy and herbal. Very tight. As though it had been positively rammed into the bottle early! Not yet very long but it may eventually be allowed to stretch its legs and provide pleasure. Lighter bodied than most of its peers. (JR)

60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, 2% Cinsault/Counoise/Muscardin/Vaccarèse. Destemmed. Vinified in stainless steel, 55% of the blend aged in burgundian barrels of 228 litres for 12 months, 45% in stainless-steel vats. RS < 2 g/l, pH 3.7. Tasted blind. Tank sample. Lustrous deep crimson. Very primary fruit on the nose – but good primary fruit. Bit peppery and spicy nose with sweet candy. Straightforward, not messed about – fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. I suppose it does taste rather like a very superior Côtes du Rhône… (JR)