chateauneuf du pape - Domaine Raymond Usseglio - Old Vines

Varietal: 90% Century-years old Grenache Noir, 10% ancient Rhône varieties
Deep ruby red towards royal purple in color. On the nose, smoke, black cherries, dried strawberries, wild blueberries with hints of salami, mushrooms and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, medium-plus intensity, with a velvety texture. On the palate, primary notes of ripe red and blue fruit such as strawberries, juicy red cherries and ripe wild blueberries, secondary notes of vanilla and pipe tobacco, followed by tertiary notes of beef prosciutto, seared mushrooms, with hints of rosemary, medium acidity, with notes of dark chocolate covered coffee beans and chewy, mouth-coating tannins on a long, generous and elegant finish. Outstanding. While this is admittedly delicious now with decanting, yet mostly on the primary fruit as expected, the balance and structure indicate that it will evolve well with aging.