Clos des Papes 2004 and Domaine du Gaillou Cuvee Unique 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape

We have spoken many times

about wines you will always

remember and these are two of them.

We joined our friends Tex, Gidget and Michael on a quest to have these incredible wines with dinner. Both of these wines have been called some of the finest in the world right now.

What a better place to have these wines and great food is Rosemary's Restaurant. Chefs Michael and Windy Jordon are very well known for there fabulous restaurant and great service.

We asked for the Clos Des Papes 2004 Chateaunuef du Papes 2004 and it lives up to very bit of the 96 points awarded by Wine Spectator. In the glass it showed medium to full bodied with a dark red purple color. On the nose there were aromas of earth, and liqueur. The palate brings forth earth and raspberries and the finish is smooth and lingering. The blend of the 2004 is 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah with the balance being filled with Counoise. The "Clos des Papes" 2005 was recently elected best wine of the world by the U.S. "Wine Spectator" magazine.

The father-and-son team, Paul and Vincent Avril are already established as one of the very finest wine making-partnerships in the southern Rhône. As early as in 1896 Paul Avril's grandfather started bottling wine under the mark Clos des Papes.

The blend, though this will vary annually depending on conditions, is predominantly Grenache (65%) with the remaining being made up of Mourvèdre, Syrah and a tiny amount of Counoise.

The Sommelier informed us there were two bottles left of the Domaine du Gaillou 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape so we "had " to try that one as well. It gave us a great opportunity to do some side by side tasting of the same vintage from two vineyards. In the glass this one appeared darker than the Clos Des Papes and was medium to full bodied. On the nose a slight hint of earth came through initially but gave way to floral notes and red berries. The mouth feel was silky with red fruit , floral and a hint of spice. This wine finished beautifully over a long time with floral and fruit notes to the end.

This was memorable Châteauneuf from 50-year-old vines, all aged in older foudres. The blend was 95% Grenache, with a dash of Syrah and Mourvèdre to finish it off.

We took a vote among the five of us and the Domaine du Gaillou just edged out the Clos des Papes as the favorite. In our opinion the Clos des Papes had more or a lighter feminine quality whereas the Domaine du Gaillou was more fruit forward and bolder all around. Nevertheless, both of these wines were memorable and will not be forgotten any time soon.