2017 - Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Petit Livre de A.M. Bach, Rotem and Mounir Saouma

The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Petit Livre d'Anna Magdalena Bach is free-run juice from the same parcel of Pignan old-vine Grenache used in the Ariosa bottling, but it matured in a single 500-liter puncheon for five years without racking. Cedar and olive overtones accent black cherries and strawberries on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied and firmly structured, despite the extensive élevage, but the tannins are silky, the acids bright and the wine is remarkably fresh for being six-plus years from the vintage.