Domaine de Ferrand Red Rhone Blend Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005

This is seriously dark, with bittersweet chocolate, braised beef, fig, tar and ground espresso notes leading the charge, while dark plum and currant fruit wait in the background. Cuts a broad swath on the muscular finish. Very backward, with a ways to go, this has harnessed more grip than most in this vintage. Best from 2010 through 2030.

The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape has a dense ruby/purple color, notes of smoked game, jammy black cherries and blackberries, full body, some of the classic licorice, garrigue, and meaty notes along with superb texture, moderate tannin, and good acidity. This is a beauty that should evolve for 15 or more years.

An impressive effort for Bravay is his 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape, a wine of great intensity with classic Provencal garrigue notes interwoven with ground pepper, incense, seaweed, licorice, and oodles of black cherry and smoky blackberry fruit. Impressively full-bodied, structured and dense, this wine needs 2ndash;3 years of bottle age, and should keep for two decades. Charles Bravay continues to turn out brilliant Chateauneuf du Papes, eschewing the current fashion of making old vine or single-vineyard cuvees.

One of the finest wines of the vintage is the 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape, a true star and certainly one of the finest wines Philippe Ferrand has yet made. A dense saturated purple color to the rim offers up notes of seaweed wrappers from a sushi bar interwoven with licorice, blackberries, creme de cassis, kirsch liqueur, and Asian spice. Superbly concentrated, with terrific purity and a full-bodied, layered palate with good freshness and definition, this is a stunner and can be drunk early or cellared for up to 15 more years.

1 x 750ML Bottle

Superb wines have been made by Philippe Bravay at this estate over recent years. Consisting of a mere 13 acres, Domaine Ferrand benefits from very old vines- half are nearly 100 years old- and practices organic, low-yeilding growing techniques. While their Chateauneuf is nearly all Grenache, all twelve other authorized grape varieties are represented in the blend. This is a traditional, dense, full bodied and full flavored Chateanuef that can be cellared for a decade or more.

Dark red. Roasted cherry and spiced plum on the nose, with suggestions of garrigue and grilled meat. Supple and sweet, with a dominant flavor of blueberry. Finishes with supple tannins, good lift and a repeating cherry note.