AOC Chateauneuf du Pape

This blog was set up with the purpose of developing my wine knowledge, but I have not yet written a post about wine, so it is time I did!

I admit I have not been keeping up with the studying. So, after discussing with the Sommeliers, I am trying to learn about a different region each week. This week is Rhone.

I chose to start easy with an AOC Chateauneuf du Pape. In particular, Domaine de la Charbonnière 2009, costing about £20 from the local wine specialist.
In the glass, the wine is a clear, medium intensity ruby, with a few tears.
The aroma is clean with medium intensity. On the nose I detected raspberries, sour cherries and black pepper.
On the palate? Dry with medium acidity, medium tannins. Alcohol and body are both well balanced on the medium end of the scale. The intensity of the flavour is also medium with a rich, long length.
Ripe raspberries with peppery overnotes and just a hint of chocolate. Maybe some juicy strawberries peeping through!

Overall this wine is ideal to drink now, but there is still some potential for it to age. I enjoyed the fruitiness and the 'berry-like' quality in the wine, and it should go well with game dishes. Suits me fine...