2001 Domaine de la Charbonnière Vacqueyras

This Châteauneuf-du-Pape ran me just around $20.

Earth and barnyard on the nose...not much fruit, perhaps a hint of some overripe blackberry.

Smooth tannins, medium bodied–lighter than I expected–black fruit: blackberry, plum, currant, a bit of funk, and lots of herbs.

The finish has an interesting smokey taste to it. The more it opens, the more a blueberry taste comes through on the back end of the palate and finish, but all behind strong herbal notes.

Not bad at all...I’m not sure how much wine at this price is available from France with this level of complexity, I'm guessing not much. I like it.

2003 Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf du Pape

I turned 27 today and to celebrate I decided to crack this one open.

We received this bottle last Christmas from my parents...knowing my parents I assumed this was a bottle we shouldn’t just open on a random evening.

This has been sitting in our brand spanking new decanter for four hours

The nose presents Fran with spice and cherries. I get alcohol and not a whole lot else.

Chateauneuf du Pape are sometimes described as funky and this fits the bill. The finish has a burn and I’m almost getting Port qualities. Tobacco, anise, spice, and lots of earth. A common term to describe these wines is “barnyard” which to those of you who have never visited a barnyard, is a nice term for manure. Believe it or not, that’s a good quality....it’s present in this wine and oddly, it’s not offensive. Fruit-wise, there is some cherries and strawberries, but my palate tells me this wine is all about the earth and funk.

I am modest enough to know when I’ve been bested. I know that this is good, there’s a depth here, a level of strange funkiness that, like an expensive Riesling, is desired by many in the wine world. It just doesn’t work for me. Not yet, anyway. A white wine that has hints of gasoline and a red that hints of manure....maybe I'll get it at some point, but for now I’m just not there.