Domaine Juliette Avril Chàteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2007 14,5% abv; Grenache 75%, Syrah 20%, Mourvèdre 5%; 19,87€
Aged mostly in tank but 10% goes into big oak casks. This has quite a heady scent, nicely lifted yet very ripe and sweet. But it doesn't cross the line where I feel it goes from a nice ripeness into jammy over-ripeness even though it is near that boundary. Attaching specific aromas to scents in wine is always risky, but about a year ago I had a moment of revelation where I realized that unspoofulated Grenache and S. Rhône blends smell and taste like physalis peruviana. It's not a very well known berry - at least in Finland - so here is the Wikipedia page on the berry, just in case someone was wondering what I was talking about. To put it briefly, the scent was very nice, primary but unspoofulated, reminding me a bit of Texier's S. Rhônes in its purity.
The palate was a bit on the soft side, however. Yes, there is enough tannin and grip to keep up with the youthful, ripe fruit, but I do miss the refreshing raciness of Texier. This is a minor point as it is balanced and, as some here might know, there is never too much acidity in wine so I always miss it
Another slight point that tempers my enthusiasm is the slight (but again not worrisome) heat on the finish from the high alcohol. Once again, to sum up and to be as brief and laconic as Tolstoy, this was one the edge of my comfort zone when it comes to ripeness, but gladly it didn't cross that boundary so I found much to like. And though it doesn't seem structured to age decades, I think in the near and medium term this should make a very enjoyable Châteauneuf-du-Pape.