A blend of 50% Grenache, 31% Syrah and the rest Mourvèdre, Cinsault and other permitted varieties, La Nerthe’s 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape is a rock-solid effort that still has a youthful ruby color to go with classic black raspberry, toasted spice, licorice and hints of graphite. Brought up in a combination of smaller barrels and larger foudre, it’s medium to full-bodied, has a great mid-palate, ripe tannin and terrific length. It’s a classic wine from this first-rate estate that’s drinking nicely now, but will hold and evolve nicely through 2020.