1978 Domaine Lucien Barrot et Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape- France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (12/30/2013)
Smells of Agen prunes steeped in Armagnac. Or is it just Riverland plums macerating in St Agnes Brandy? There are some floral notes in the form of lavender and also a touch of earth and leather. In the mouth it tastes of Turkish delight and has plenty of savoury nuances. There’s a hint of VA that gives some balsamic lift to the wine and the finish is crisply punctuated by minerally acidity.
I wasn’t sure. It sounded good to me, but some people would react negatively to “prunes steeped in Armagnac” or “plums macerating in St. Agnes Brandy” as they would view it as over-ripe and too much alcohol. Seems to me it was a mature wine that had aged gracefully.
Thanks for the note Jeremy - what a cool wine to taste! I wonder how Lucien Barrot is related to Julien Barrot there at Barroche? If stored well these older CDPs can be a “common pathway” spectacular bottle of wine. CHEERS and Happy New Year!
I asked myself the same question, but read the note again and found it was all there. Minerality. Acidity. Savory. Spice. And fruit. And the ebob vintage chart says 78 is a 97 point year and ready. And I would imagine this is pre-Parker extraction influence so this would be a traditional wine. He must like the wine!