7/2001. Bought at auction, Feb-99 for $116.
Every now and then I try a 'new' Chateauneuf du Pape to see if anything can come close to Beaucastel. Not that I have tasted many other CdP, but those I did taste came nowhere near the Perrin's stuff.
This Cuvee Centenaire by Brunel is made of century-old vines in the single vineyard of 'Les Cailloux'. The main grape is Grenache supplemented with Syrah, Mourvedre and other Rhone varietals.
COLOR: Dark violet-black. Very little clearing around the rim. Some sediment left in the bottle.
NOSE: Immense! Full-throttled nose bursting out of the glass. Complex red and black fruit, exotic spices, damp earth and raw meat. Wonderful depth and breadth of aromas and bouquet.
TASTE: Big wine on the palate. Rich mouthfilling and vibrant, multi-flavored expressive and complex. Ample fruit and plenty of winyness with good acidity and round tannins. This wine is really fantastic.
LENGTH: Extremely long reverberating aftertaste.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Full bodied masculine wine that is well endowed in every department. Fruit, alcohol, winyness, acidity and tannins are all there in perfect proportions. Still somewhat young and needs more time to completely harmonize.
OVERALL: Outstanding!! A wonderful example of what an old-vines CdP can be. Extremely enjoyable now but will benefit from 3-6 more years of cellaring.

MARK: 19/20.

BUY MORE? Yes.

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.