Chateauneuf du Pape translates to House of the Pope and with the election of Pope Francis we thought it would be appropriate to enjoy a CdP with dinner the other night. This is our second bottle from our most recent Wine Library order and it’s a 100% Grenache CdP from Domaine Galevan which is a small yet well known estate in southern Rhone. The 2009, 2010, and 2011 have all earned critical acclaim which has driven the price up to $80 a bottle however I was able to grab it for $60.

colonelgrape: 95. Definitely a younger wine…a little rough around the edges but the foundation is strong and this wine is going to round into shape in the next few years. Being 100% Grenache it has a slightly different taste than other CdP’s. Dark fruit, leather, and earth come through on the palate with a nice long finish. It’s very drinkable now but this is a wine worth cellaring as it’s only going to get better and better. Every 2010 CdP or CdR I’ve had so far has been excellent…if you see any 2010 from a good producer at a good price snatch up all you can, the price is only going to go up.

MobyGrape: 88. Habemus Papam! In honor of a new pope, it seemed only fitting to have a wine with a Pope hat on it. It was carefully selected in the basement after a series of secretive meetings and, once chosen, I set dinner on fire and smoke filled the kitchen.  Maybe that’s not quite what happened but whatever, the wine was well-timed and tasty.  It was young and not quite as smooth as some of the cdp’s we’ve had, but it was delicious nonetheless.