2004 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin
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Tasting notes
Some of the wines of the vintage, the 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin has a classic, textbook style, with its garrigue, white pepper, kirsch and spring flowers flowing to a medium to full-bodied, layered and sweetly fruited palate. It’s drinking at point now, and there’s no reason to delay gratification. One of the benchmark estates in the Rhone Valley, Domaine de la Janasse is run by the talented brother/sister pair of Christophe and Isabelle Sabon. Located in the northeastern portion of the region, near Courthezon, they produce an incredible range of wines, from their Vin de Pays, to their Cotes du Rones and world-class Chateauneuf du Papes, all of which are noteworthy. For this tasting, we started with the 1990s and went up through their 2007s. At this point, the ‘98s through the 2004s are all in varying degrees of full maturity, and drinking brilliantly. In addition, it’s also worth pointing out that these wines have the fruit and texture to dish out immense pleasure in their youth, so don’t be afraid to crack these new releases either. Both of the 1999s were drinking beautifully, and are up near the top of the vintage. Moving to the 2000s, I found that from this point forward, the wines started to show more freshness and vibrancy. Looking specifically at this vintage, these are still mature wines, yet they’re drinking beautifully. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Selections, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2004 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin boast a big, perfumed nose of raspberry and cherry fruit, licorice, vanilla and minerals. Just dark, rich and deep. With air the vanilla notes integrate and subtle coffee, tobacco, smoke and floral notes show up. The palate is silky and smooth and strikes a perfect balance between the acidity, fruit and tannin. This improved with air and showed fined grained, silky tannins on the very long finish. Just a delicious, elegant yet powerful wine that is a joy to drink right now.
Dark ruby. Wonderfully fresh nose dominated by bright raspberry and strawberry preserves. Silky and very sweet, with explosive red and dark berry flavors, medium weight, excellent concentration and supple tannins. The fruit/tannin balance is outstanding, and the wine finishes impressively long and juicy.
Dark red. Explosively aromatic and sweet on the nose, dominated by potent red berries and candied rose. Lush and sweet in the mouth, the red berry notes picking up weight and becoming positively liqueur-like. I was reminded of a red Burgundy from the Gros family. Finishes supple and round, with no bite or rough edges.