The 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape is actually one of the more forward wines La Gardine has made in a number of years. It is dark ruby, has excellent chocolatey pain grille notes intermixed with espresso, sweet cherry, and blackberry. The wine is soft, deep, with excellent purity and should drink nicely for up to a decade. A decidedly modern take on Chateauneuf du Pape, but wine built for long-term aging is the rule of thumb from this estate tucked away in the very western reaches of Chateauneuf du Pape. I have cellared their Cuvee des Generations as far back as 1978. It’s a wine that does behave more like a Bordeaux than many Chateauneuf du Papes, requiring a good decade of cellaring, and it may be one of the few wines that takes that long to shed some tannin. Of course it sees aging in new oak barrels, as La Gardine was one of the first to use new oak for its Chateauneuf du Pape, and while the wine can be somewhat internationally styled and oaky in its youth, the wood does get absorbed as the wine ages, and after a decade there is no doubt it is a southern Rhone wine with plenty of Provencal typicity in it. At about age 7-8, the aromas of black cherries and other black fruits intermixed with smoky garrigue notes come to the forefront.Importer: Bercut-Vandervoort, Brisbane, CA; tel. (415) 562-1132

A blend of 70% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and the balance a mix of other permitted varieties, the 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up plenty of sweet and sour black cherry, underbrush and gamey nuances to go with medium-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Fresh and focused, with the juicy acidity and mid-weight aromas and flavors of the vintage, it should be consumed over the coming couple of years. This larger estate covers more than 50 hectares, all in the western section of the appellation, mostly on the pebble soils of the Mont Redon plateau. Made by Marie-Odile Brunel, all four of these wines are noteworthy, and I was seriously impressed by both of the whites, which were still youthful and vibrant.