2001 Tardieu Laurent Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale Rouge
Condition:
Bright medium ruby. Musky, slightly rustic aromas of roast coffee and chocolate. Liqueur-like surmaturite in the mouth; thick but with enlivening vinosity. Shows an intriguing iron nuance to go with the roasted garrigue character. The ""regular"" old-vines bottling is more aristocratic, while this is more traditional, rustic Chateauneuf, but with uncanny sweetness and depth of flavor. Finishes with huge tannins that will require several years of bottle aging. This cuvee was more raisiny, with more of a figgy character from dried grapes, noted Tardieu, and thus he couldn't combine it with the rest of the old-vines juice. ST
WA95