SOMMELIER RETREAT

Bonpas Chateauneuf-du-Pape is produced in the 12th century fortress of Bon Passage that overlooked the Durance river between Rome and Avignon. It was both a military outpost and convent. The wine itself is similarly monolithic, taking on a more ripe, intense expression of this wine region. Vivid strawberry, raspberry liqueur, and black cherry give way to the rocky flavor of sun-baked Galets roulés and granite. It keeps going though; lavender, red peppercorns, smoke, blood, and orange zest add stunning depth of complexity. It clocks in at 15% percent alcohol, but doesn’t quite show it; it has the massive elegance of a football player practicing ballet. It provides tons of drinking pleasure now, but will mature gracefully for 10 to 15 years down the line.