41 Chateauneuf du Pape Domaine la Roquete 2005

Since proprietor Daniel Brunier installed a new winemaking facility at La Roquette, this wine, which has always been good, has taken a noticeable leap in quality. Aged totally in foudre before being bottled, La Roquette is usually a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits much more tannin, structure, and a more closed personality than its counterpart in 2006. The wine has a dark ruby/purple-tinged color (darker than the 2006), a rather firm mouthfeel with more animal characteristics, some dark berry fruit, high tannin, medium to full body, and good acidity. This wine needs to be forgotten for 2ndash;3 years and drunk over the following 15.

Deep ruby to the rim. Full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Highly extracted. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Vanilla, black fruits, earth. Extraordinarily aromatic, with a solid interplay between fruit and wood nuances. Firm and rich in the mouth, with a sense of opulence that makes for an attractive, youthful style.

High-toned at first, with cherry and floral aromas. Yet quickly shows more density, with layers of black currant and graphite and taut, sinewy tannins that drive the finish. Drink now through 2017.

Layers of exotic fig, boysenberry and loganberry fruit ripple across the lush, dense structure, while hints of red licorice, linzer torte, mesquite and plum sauce glide through the well-rounded finish. Drink now through 2025.

The 2004 Domaine La Roquette Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits good sweet kirsch liqueur notes intermixed with some licorice, spring flowers, and earth. Medium-bodied and elegant with sweet tannin, it should drink well for a decade or more.