2004 Chateauneuf du Pape

The 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape shows huge peppery notes, a nice dark plum/garnet color, and soft tannins. In the mouth, there is a continuation of the Provencal typicity with loads of plum, fig, and black cherry fruit interwoven with a distinctive garrigue note. It is soft and best drunk over the next 4-6 years. This was an estate that I visited frequently in the early 1980s, purchasing a number of the wines from vintages such as 1983 and 1985. However, the quality became spotty, and the wines increasingly dominated by more bret than fruit. All of that seems to have changed, as these are impressive showings for Durieu’s wines. No known American importer.