Red wine from the heart of France
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a beautiful wine, made in the Southern Rhone region of France. It is a wine usually made to drink young. Mostly ready to drink approximately 2 years after bottling. It is a strong wine (minimum 12.5% alcohol) but very drinkable.
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About 95% of the wine production in this area is red. They are smooth fruity wines. I was always suspicious of those wine writers who go on about 'undernotes of green' and such rot but this wine is an exception. The good chateau produce wine of exceptional flavour. Distinctly fruity. I find that it makes me think of ripe plums and Mediterranean sun. It may be something to do with the Mediterranean climate of the Rhone region which adds this enviable quality to the wine. I could also smell a black current like aroma.
Chateauneuf-du-pape is a robust wine, and as I have said it is best drunk youngish as it does not cellar well. It goes particularly well with the classic country autumn and winter fare. Particularly robust flavourful stews (with dumplings), winter casseroles, particularly with venison, wild boar (you have to try this, it's fantastic) or pheasant. Don't forget the obligatory treacle tart or spotted dick for pudding. Ah takes me back to my school days. Now if they had only served a chateaunurf-du-pape like this one... then I might have remembered my old school with more fondness.