2001 Domaine du Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf du Pape

Last weekend I cooked a cassoulet, so of course it meant I needed a Chateauneuf to accompany it. My choice was the 2001 Vieux Lazaret Chateauneuf du Pape, a good and relatively inexpensive wine from my favorite appellation.

I am pleased to say this wine was really hitting its stride. With a few years of bottle age, it had really come into its own and was showing off pretty quick. There was the dark cherry fruit that is so typical of Grenache, as well as the great garrigue of a typical Chateauneuf du Pape (perhaps assisted by the blend that includes Syrah, Mourvedre, and Cinsault). All this from a wine that I think was about $24 on release. It reminds me that even though prices from this region have really soared over the last few years, there are still some great relative values. If you can find a wine of this quality that can also age gracefully for several years like this, it is well worth it.