65% Grenache, 35%

96 WA. I think even better than the 2007, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape la Reserve Secrete is a Grenache-dominated blend that includes 35% Syrah. This inky colored, big, rich and massively concentrated wine is certainly one of the wines of the vintage, but even now, at age 10, it needs further cellaring. Showing lots of ripe dark fruits, coffee, oak and toasty notes, it has full-bodied richness and building, ripe tannin; forget bottles for 3-4 years and enjoy over the following decade or more. Jeb Dunnuck