1993 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape – many people will see the vintage and wonder why I bought this, but I’d remind them that there are many good wines in vintages that are not right at the top of the heap. This wine has been good from the mid 90s and I have slowly worked my way through a half case of it, with no rush.
I think that this last bottle might just be the most enjoyable I’ve had, but it was completely different from the rest because I had ignored the wine and probably hadn’t had one for several years. The colour was still good, a light garnet that reminded me more of a mature Burgundy than anything else, with almost clear, but not browning edges. The nose, too, was very Burgundian with a hint of leather and interesting earth and fruit tones, but also a hint of black pepper. The wine was quite elegant, medium long and retained enough fruit to slide smoothly across the palate, tapering of gradually. I think it would have made a pretty good ringer in a Burgundy tasting, and the giveaway (tasted against 1993 Burgs) wouldn’t be the pepper, it would be the higher levels of fruit in this wine.