2005 Janasse Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin

DESCRIPTION

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Oct 07
A 100% Grenache cuvee from sandy and clay soils, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin has a deep ruby/purple color and a sweet nose of smoked meats and game, blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with some sweet cherry, plum, and a hint of fig. The wine boasts some charcoal notes, plenty of ocean sea breeze, and a hint of seaweed wrapper (nori) with a long, heady, stunningly rich finish. This is a beauty, but it really begs for 2-3 years of cellaring and should keep for two decades. 94 points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Jan/Feb 07 Deep ruby. Intense blueberry, boysenberry and candied licorice on the nose, with heady accents of incense. Lush and velvety in the mouth, with liqueur-like dark berry and cherry flavors, molten tannins and a rich, chewy texture. This displays remarkable depth and sweetness all the way through the extremely long finish. A real head-spinner, literally: Sabon told me that this was bottled at 16.5% alcohol but that many lots were well above 17%. 92-95 points