La Ferme du Mont – 2008 – Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Côtes Capelan

High-toned, nail varnish remover, sweet port-like fruit, slightly raisined with a thyme honey note I associate with dessert wine; powerful, sweet and aromatically complex, I am surprised both by the ripeness (given that 2008 was if anything an underripe vintage) and by how expressive this relatively young wine is. I strongly suspect it may be having a sweet-spot swan-song before entering a dumb phase – I wouldn’t be surprised to return to it 2 years down the line and find a much more closed wine. Drink now, or leave till 2018.

93/100