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2003 Clos de Papes Here's my note from a recent offline. I didn't find the truth in labeling issues that were mentioned in the other person's note that Mark posted. In fact, I was impressed that the wine could have the size-ripeness-roasting that it did and still be discernably CdP. However, I certainly won't be buying any (and wouldn't at half the price). Jim *2003 Clos des Papes Ch=E2teauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rh=F4ne, Southern Rh=F4ne, Ch=E2teauneuf-du-Pape* Wow! Deep, deep colour, but not quite inky or murky. Started with that low-toned funky Grenache smell, overlaid with a little strawberry and raspberry and very ripe darker fruit and spice. There's garrique here too. Palate shows big tannins, but so much fruit that the tannins just slip on by. Palate is much more ripe dark fruit, maybe a little roast-raisin, but less than I had feared. I get very little of the heat that others have noted (but, unlike Oliver, did not revisit after the claret). A lot of fun to drink, but I can't figure out what I would drink it with, other than a rare "steak as big as your head". Overwhelmed the lamb chops. Didn't find the acid spine to make me think this will evolve over the long-term into the kind of wine I like to drink, but you could hide an elephant's worth of acid under the tannin and fruit at this stage. Has the roasted, ripe notes of 2003 that are not really for me, but I was really impressed at how clearly this wine still spoke of Chateauneuf, just in an outsized way. (Thanks Michael)
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