Domaine André Mathieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Darker than expected. Medium red with maturity tone. 30 minutes decant. Dry nose, cellar, cement, earthy. Has lost some fruit. Red berries, soft, complex, with balanced acidity. Warm (15%), with dry aftertaste. Good with entrècôte and red wine sauce.

Decanted 30 minutes. Red with maturity notes. Slightly watery rim. Nice nose of red and dark berries, quite complex, herbal spices. Opens up with time in the glass. Taste is dry, earthy, spicy and warm. More red than dark berries, soft tannines and medium finish. I think it will continue to develop with cellering for another 2-3 years.

Heavy on the Grenache. Typical cassis, earthy acidity found in Rhone blends. Medium body with only a hint of tannins. Smooth, balanced fruit. Went very well with fatty French food. Would definitely drink again.

Very dark red; a little reductive at first which may be a good sign for an '09, intense red tart fruit, old-school style, wild berry, subtle; garrigue on the palate out the wazoo, red and dark wild berry, bright raspberry and cranberry, ripe though not overripe at all, Grenachey finish, some depth but this lacks a little nobility for me, may not call this as CdP if tasted blind.

First off, the cellartracker value on this is way off, check the other vintages that show it at mid $30s. Mostly Grenache/Mouvedre, but has all 13 allowed grapes. 12 months in oak. The Grenache in this dominates, but there's definitely more to it as well. Pretty interesting how the other grapes interplay with the typical sweet pepper. Excellent balance of nose, fruit, acidity and light to medium tannins. Old World style but approachable and a drink now.