TN: Fondreche Bosquet Clos des Papes Beaucastel Ferrando

Notes from a distanced blind tasting of Chateauneuf du Pape.

2018 Domaine de Fondrèche Ventoux Blanc Persia – old vines Roussanne made near Mt. Ventoux . Excellent peach nose that later moved toward apricot. Good balance and length. Very nice.

1989 Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape – garnet colour all the way to the rim, slightly funky floral nose with earth and a bit of saddle leather. On palate, clearly an old wine but retaining some flavour interest. Medium length.

1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape – big berry nose, darker than the 89, showing well with spiced nose and good sweet fruit. No rush but on plateau now.

2004 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape – similar enough that we were guessing the same house, but more spice in the nose and some saddle leather. Good fruit levels and long finish.

2007 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – dark wine with a sweet ripe fruit nose, well put together and not overly sweet in the mouth. One of the good 2007s! Commendably log finish.

2005 Domaine Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis – a first for me, tasting this house. Very dark and quite ripe, which carried over onto palate – more like the sort of California wines I deplore than a Rhone. Not my style at all. Words like ‘lush’ and overripe’ are just not in my Southern Rhone tasting lexicon. Which probably means that a lot of people love the stuff.

IMG_6250.jpg

[Jenise]

Fun report, Bill. Interesting to see a Fondreche show up. I've got some '10 red Fondreche Persias that have matured beautifully, but I've never experienced any other of their wines out in the wild. And the Clos de Papes. Would really like to taste an older one but most of the young ones I've had have, frankly, left me scratching my head about what the fuss is all about. They weren't bad wines, but they were polished, slick and modern for my tastes, and if I didn't know they were supposed to be 'special' I wouldn't have paid them much mind at all.

I prefer the earlier Clos des Papes vintages. I still have 1995 and 1998 in the cellar so maybe when the border opens........

[Jenise]

You got a date.

I had the 2007 Colombus lately, and was all psyched up to hate it - the CDP 2007 vintage is a shit show - but it really impressed me, in a ripe, rich way of course, but it had so many savory elements that it worked.

Hi John.

I might have been more impressed with it in an open tasting of mixed wines, but in the company of mostly) traditional typical CNduP it stuck out like a Petite Sirah at a Burgundy tasting.

I am going to post the TN of someone else (that both you and Jenise know) as I think it is very much on point - it confirms that on that day with that bottle, I wasn't being overly negative. Other bottles might well show better.

Quite dark red with browning. Very roasted fruit at first, then alcohol, after a bit the roasted fruit becomes a bit more fresh but still very ripe. There is some earthiness and herbs behind all the ripe berry fruit but way in the background . The flavours are ripe and hot and the finish is long.

Poured right after a 2007 Beaucastel which seemed pretty ripe but nothing like this. Some would love it though

I can guess whose note that is! I don't doubt your nasty bottle - I hate hot wines, and seem to be getting increasingly sensitive to them - I was more thinking out loud about how interesting and surprising vintage (and bottle) variations can be.

[Jenise]

There's a word for that: Californicated.