Senior editor and tasting director Bruce Sanderson joined Wine Spectator in 1993. His tasting beats are Burgundy, Italy and Germany.

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A Hearty Châteauneuf-du-Pape with Chinese Beef

Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet 2005

Bruce Sanderson
Posted: October 15, 2009

A friend was in town and wanted to meet for dinner so we decided on Fuleen Seafood in Chinatown. I brought a few bottles of wine to enjoy with the excellent selection of seafood and a few poultry and beef dishes.

One of the dishes I recommend at Fuleen is the diced filet steak with black pepper. The small cubes of beef are like butter in texture, and the pepper provides a bit of kick. The dish calls for a rich, full-bodied yet fruity red, preferably on the young side.

Clos du Mont-Olivet's La Cuvée du Papet 2005 provided those characteristics and then some. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape revealed deep, dark plum, dried cherry, fruitcake, cocoa and a hint of herb aromas and flavors, with a rich, glycerine-like texture and exuberant fruit. I gave it 93 points, non-blind.

The wine was part of a half-case I purchased on release, for $64 a bottle. I would wait another 3 to 5 years yet if you want more subtlety and complexity, then enjoy it over the following decade or so.

WineSpectator.com members: Read the original blind-tasting review for Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet 2005 (95, $68).

• Plus, get scores and tasting notes for more recently rated Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds, along with our quick list of Top Values in Rhône reds.