Domaine Charbonniere - Perdrix - Chateauneuf du Pape - 1998

France / Chateauneuf du Pape
$35 / Rhone

Ahh, the joys of having a cellar. With the economy ailing, and me being in an industry that has been severely affected, I am happy to have a cellar to drink during the downturn. I have been drinking 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape on and off for almost 10 years. It was a great vintage, and most of the wines have held up very well.

I was curious how this Domaine held up. A reasonably priced wine, it cost about $25 when I purchased this in 2001. It was a bit tight when I tasted it back then, and has had time to mellow over the years. The tannins have softened, and the wine has morphed into a wonderful treat.

The cork held up beautifully on this wine when I opened it. It poured ruby red, and did not look like a 10+ year wine. The scents from the glass were balsam, black fruit, cherry and a bit of earth. The wine was layered and long. There was still a bit of glycerin which was surprising after all these years. There were still sufficient tannins - though softer then in early life - that leads me to believe this one has 5-7 years left to drink.

Overall, this was a wonderful bottle of wine.

This producer always has a consistently good bottle from year to year. In the great years, this bottle is one that you should stock up on. With 2007 being compared to 1998 as a vintage, I may have to pick up some for the cellar.

What are some of your favorite CDP producers? Not the obvious - like Beaucastle and Pegau - but some of your favorite values in the region? Let me know....