Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Rhône > Southern Rhône > Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Le Vieux Donjon (Lucien Michel)
As one would expect, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape is formidably tannic, backward, and in need of 5-6 years of bottle age. Its dark ruby/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of sweet cherries, roasted herbs, meat juices, forest floor, and resiny underbrush. Deep, full-bodied, backward, and serious, this is a wine for patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2020+. An estate for connoisseurs with cold cellars, these traditionally made Chateauneuf du Papes rarely strut their stuff until they have been in the bottle for 5-7 years. Moreover, this is one of the few estates that has resisted the current fashion for producing old vine cuvees.
juicy and spicy, with lots of raspberry ganache and blueberry notes offset by hints of mulled spices, black tea and fig cake. really picks up steam on the finish, with a racy, mouthwatering minerality. should age beautifully. the michels went back to using stems in 2005, after dropping them in '04 - and the great, rugged texture is back too. drink now through 2025.
The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape has a more saturated dark ruby/purple color and an elegant nose of licorice, roasted meat, sweet blackberries and cherries, as well as cedar and spice. The wine is medium to full-bodied, has good acidity, and seems to convey a sense of both elegance and power with beautiful balance and purity. This wine will need 2-4 years of bottle age and should drink well for up to 15 or so years.
One of the most traditionally run estates of Chateauneuf du Pape, and consistently producers of excellent wines, Lucien and Marie-Joseph Michel consistently make the best selections in the cellar, and only bottle one Chateauneuf du Pape, resisting the current fashion for producing cuvees of old vines.