2006 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf du Pape Les Hautes Brusquières
I started researching the Domaine de la Charbonnière just now for this story and I’m already enchanted. Look what it says on their home page:
Domaine de la Charbonnière was purchased by Eugène Maret in 1912 as a gift for his wife. She was native of Châteauneuf du Pape and a winemaker’s daughter of the appellation.
I don’t know what could be more romantic than buying your missus a winery in Châteauneuf du Pape, do you?
That was a while back. These days it seems that the grandson and great-granddaughters run the show. That’s fine by me. Better, really, than some nameless corporate giant from Nowhereville, Anyplace. I suspect that our photographer buddy, DBL would agree wholeheartedly.
It is so easy to drift from romance to politics!
Hegui and I are real fans of this producer and this wine in particular. We had a half-case of the 2006 Les Hautes Brusquières. Sadly this is the last bottle. It was good, real good.
This is a blend of about 70% Grenache and 30% syrah. It was a rich transparent red with an exciting nose of wet ocean rocks and black cherry. Medium-bodied, it had abundant mineral with hints of red rust on a core of red and purple stone fruit. We tried it a few years ago at which time it exhibited more leather. That seems somewhat tamed now, leaving the wine more elegant. Wow!