TNs: 2004 Clos des Papes (Bleh) and 2005 Pride Cab (yum)

2004 Clos des Papes
This had a great nose of cardamom, cinnamon, bramble and roasted fruit of the bat. Really nice nose, but the palate was jumbled and a little hot. Left it for a day with just the cork in and it stayed the same. Great nose, dissapointing palate…austere and dark lots of tannin. Not a bad wine, but I was dissapointed.

2005 Pride Cab
Opened this when the CDP failed. Hot nose at first some fruit but lots of booze. The palate was a ton of acid. I thought I had a bad bottle. I decided to give up on opening something else and plowed into my steak. Surprise! some red fruit came out with the food. So I corked it and put it aside. I couldnt get to it on day two, so day three comes around and I pour a glass. Great nose…not necessarily cab, but great nose…dark berries, sweet chocolate, flowers? The palate was also great but again…blackberries? Grill flavors? Reminded me of Cali syrah. Long finish and now the acid is just right. Long finish and still palapable tannins…this wine needs a long time, but damn was it good day three…

Berto, is the 05 still a ‘completely Foley’ wine? I don’t remember what was in barrel when he resigned.

Yeah, I dont know what the last year war but I know 05 was still his. Doesnt quite taste like the usual Foley though, seems more structured than huge fruit bomb…until day three that is

A bad bottle with that '04 Clos des Papes, it happens! Move on & crack open another of these stunners…

You know Phil, maybe not…I went to dump the dregs yeasterday…5 days after opening, and being the berserker I am, I poured it in the glass instead hoping for a miracle. The wine tasted correct. Nice grenache flavors, lost a little verve, but by no means falling appart. So maybe an awkward phase rather than a bad bottle. Only got 2 left. I think Ill wait.