2008 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape
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Tasting notes
One of the top wines in a challenging vintage and showing even better than a year ago, the 2008 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape is perfumed and complex, possessing loads of black cherry, garrigue, licorice, lavender, peppered steak, and olive notes, medium body, perfect balance, and an overall savory, clean, fresh profile. There’s good tannin and structure here, and this should continue to shine for another decade. Don’t let the vintage scare you off as this is an outstanding wine that will put a smile on anyone’s face.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Vivid red. An exotically perfumed bouquet displays cinnamon-accented red berries and cherry, with a sexy floral overtone. Spicy and incisive on the palate, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and a hint of baking spices. The spicy notes linger on a long, silky finish. Showing lots of complexity right now but this is also balanced to age.
The 2008 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sexy, medium to full-bodied effort with far more depth, richness and seductive powers than most Chateauneuf du Papes in this vintage. A classic blend of 85% Grenache and the rest equal parts Mourvedre, Syrah and Vaccarese has resulted in a deep plum/ruby-hued 2008 displaying loads of kirsch, pepper and licorice notes. The fruit is sweet, the tannins silky and the wine very seductive and evolved. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. One of the most intelligent young Chateauneuf du Pape turks is Laurent Charvin. As I have written before, consumers are lucky that the entire production here is now estate bottled as opposed to being sold to negociants as it was prior to 1990. I always find Charvin’s wines come closest to those of Chateau Rayas, although the Charvin cuvees are slightly more concentrated. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800
Bright red. Fresh strawberry and raspberry on the nose, along with nuances of smoky underbrush and baking spices. With its graceful red fruit and candied floral flavors and silky texture, this reminds me of a ripe pinot noir. A note of blood orange adds lift and cut to the juicy, focused, long finish. I really like this wine's precision and light touch.