Grand Cru Wine Merchants

The three lots of 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee (again, no Cuvee da Capo was produced in this vintage) had not yet been blended. Tasting through all of them, they scored between 91 and 94, so I suspect this offering will be similar, qualitatively, to the 2006. But, it is a very different style of wine. It reveals a dark ruby/purple hue along with notes of tar, roasted meats, and Provencal herbs, which give it a certain savage/animal character. The wine is ruggedly constructed, concentrated, full-bodied, tannic, and firm in the finish. For comparison purposes, it comes closest to 1995. The 2005 will need time to come around, and the Ferauds were leaning toward bottling it in late 2007 or early 2008. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. -92-94pts WA