For anyone who prefers pairing medium to full bodied reds with their Thanksgiving feast should consider one of the 2009 Chateaneuf Du Pape's(CdP). I am personally a big fan of wines from the Rhone Valley in France, especially the Chateaneuf's. The one thing that I am not used to is drinking them so young, I usually cellar them for at least 3 or 4 years before drinking them. After reading that 2009 was not only an exceptional year, but a warmer than usual growing season I was anxious to open one.
In warmer vintages the wines are usually very ripe and possess a "fruit forward" quality. What this means is that the tannin levels are lower than in cooler vintages and the herbal and spicy qualities are overshadowed by the fruit flavors.
So, on to the wine. This past weekend I opened a bottle of Domaine La Milliere's 2009 CdP. I planned on drinking it with dinner so I uncorked the bottle at around noon and poured off a glass so the wine could "open up". Initially the nose was not very revealing but over time the fruit and herbal characters really began to show. At around 5pm when we poured the wine and tasted it we were all surprised just how approachable it was. The wine was velvety smooth and showed rich flavors of cherry and Provencal herbs. There was a definite depth that other Southern Rhone wines just don't have. I love ordinary Cote du Rhone wines but they are less complex than the CdP's or even Gigondas wines. I was also very pleased with how well this wine carried the 14% alcohol level. One tip on serving this wine is to store it at cellar temperature (55-60 degrees) before serving. By doing this the wine will surely show much more balance.
Wine details: 2009 Domaine La Milliere Chateaneuf du Pape, Vielles Vignes, $50.99/bottle.
Grape varietals: 60% Grenache, 10% Mouvedre, 10% Cinsault, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah
-Greg
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