1985 Champagne Charles Heidsieck Cuvee Charlie 2007 Chablis Fourchaume / Charlopin Parizot 1996 Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 1999 Meursault Clos des Perrieres / Albert Grivault 1969 Ch.Figeac St-Emilion 1985 Beaune Graves l'Enfant Jesus / Bouchard 2006 Volnay 1er Cru Angles / Domaine Louis Boillot 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins / Henri Bonneau
1999 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins
Henri Bonneau
Chateauneuf du Pape, Southern Rhone, Rhone, France
Proprietary Blend (a dry red table wine)
The 1999 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins, which Bonneau compares to his great 1986 (the wine of the vintage for this appellation), is a full-bodied, chewy, macho-styled effort possessing plenty of muscle as well as tannin. Aromas of pepper, new saddle leather, prunes, Italian sausage, and earthy truffle notes are followed by a big, dense, backward wine that will require 4-5 years of cellaring after its release. It reminded me of the tannic, closed 1995 more than the 1986, but I’ll defer to Bonneau’s expertise since he gets to drink these wines more often than I do. In any event, the 1999 should be at its finest between 2008-2020+.