2001 Chateauneuf du Pape

This has an interesting, evolved nose of red fruits, leather, cedar and spice notes. With air tar and earth notes show up. Medium bodied and balanced with a medium length finish. Fairly evolved for the vintage and drinking really well.

Full red color. Subdued but primary aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry and licorice. Fruit-driven, bright and stylish, but rather polite and a bit tight today, with firm-edged acids dominating. But this has good density and underlying power. Very firm, even youthfully backward, on the finish and in need of at least a couple years of aging.

(just assembled) Saturated deep ruby. Inky nose dominated by bitter chocolate. Thick and dense, with a sappy quality and a stronger impression of acidity than the 2000. More concentrated than the 2000, but currently a bit dominated by its structure. Finishes chocolatey and long, with substantial tannins that avoid dryness. Potentially even stronger than the 2000, but the earlier vintage will provide more immediate pleasure.