Tuesday, December 16, 2008

2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

I also tried a number of 2006 Chateauneuf-du-Papes. I was generally impressed with the quality of the line-up. The wines showed good fruit, although not as lush as 2005, but with good structure as well. Most wines were in the $50-$100 bracket. All these wines are dominated by Grenache, and usually some Shiraz and Mouvedre.

My favorite were the wines by Pierre Usseglio. The standard wine showed complex cherry flavours with a very fine texture, and silky tannins leading to a long finish. The 'Cuvee de Mon Aieul' showed more ripeness and elegance. Domaine et Selection was equally good, Domaine Senechaux, as a 100% Grenache, had less structure and was a bit fruity. On the other end of the spectrum was Domaine de la Cote de l'Ange with earthy characters and dry tannins.

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