1995 Clos des Papes. Twenty years has been kind to this wine. Still quite a deep red with very little bricking on the edge. Lovely mature nose with lots of different elements of meat and earth and fruits intertwinned. Rich and full bodied with lots of energy and lift. Resolved tannins and moderate acidity frame the finish. A tiny hint of warmth shows its origin and alcohol content (14.5%). This is delicious drinking right now and is at full maturity for my palate. Does not appear to be in declineat all and maybe keep for longer. Went really well with the grilled steaks we had. Yum.
Brodie
Thanks for the note, Brodie. I had the '95 a few years ago, alongside the '95 Vieux Télégraphe; both were excellent, the Clos des Papes simply perfect and the VT also great but struck me as not having reached its peak.
The 95 Clos des Papes, for my palate, really did escape the downside of many 95s of having so much hard tannin as never to soften with age. They have come around as nicely austere and elegant wines, but for the most part, I have preferred the 94s. For some reason, Clos des Papes really did make a very nice 95. I like VTs 95 more than say Beaucastel or Pegau in that year but I don’t think it needs more time. I think it just is what a lot of 95s are.