Chateau Qanafar 2016

I pressed the Green Button on Sunday and took delivery today.
My selection, as always, was a mix of wines I hadn’t bought before and new vintages of old favourites.

Wines new to me:
Camille Cayran La Reserve Cru Cairanne Blanc 2021
Patrice Grasset Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Beautiful Isle Peacock Pinot Noir 2023
Matt Parish Napa Valley Tino 2020

The new vintages:
Ramon do Casar Treixadura 2022
Boschkloof Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Boschkloof Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2023
Boschkloof Merlot 2023
Cordero Barbera d'Alba Superiore DOC 2022
Tenuta Oderisio Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva Don Panfilo Selection 2021
Chateau Qanafar 2016
Jen Pfeiffer The Diamond 10 y.o. Rutherglen Tawny

And the freebie:
Benjamin Darnault Côtes du Rhône Au Dessus Magnum 2023

Reason enough to open a bottle, I think. Cheers!

I’m amazed how this classy blend changes from vintage to vintage, yet remains high quality and complex. This year is 44% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Syrah. 2015 was 72% Syrah! Dark purple colour. Nose of dark fruits, almost a port-like intensity but very scented with herbs and smoke. Palate is full bodied, dark fruits, tannins velvety but with structure, medium to high acidity maintains freshness, spicy. Decent length. Great stuff.

Gave it 4 hrs in the decanter - I think it could take more as it was still opening up as the evening went on. The perfume is intoxicating on its own. It’s hard to overstate just how much I love this wine. Lots of dark fruit, plums, some oak - vanilla maybe, and a little salinty or bacon/cured meat. Very interested to see how this will evolve over the next 10 years or so. Beautiful wine - thank you Eddy.

Just a little top-up order to my previous sale order:-

Chateau Qanafar 2016
Camille Cayran Chateauneuf du Pape Organic 2021
Matt Parish Napa Valley Tino 2020
Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume 2022
Rabbit & Spaghetti Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022
Katie Jones All Good Things Picpoul Sur Lie 2022

💜💜💜💜💜 Love love love!

Our Christmas dinner wine, paired with a stuffed yuletide log: 3 birds (chicken with traces of turkey and duck), with pork/Christmas seasonings.

Juicy, spicy, lengthy finish, orange notes to round it off. Decanted for 3+ hrs.

Ahhh, this is a bit special. Gorgeous, rich and superbly balanced. Soft enough now, but with some well structured tannins suggesting it might well keep until 2041 as mentioned. Doubt it'll hang around that long, though! Did as recommended and let breathe a bit, but it's lovely from the off. It's not a cheap bottle, but very definitely worth it. Have it with something special. On this occasion, we had this, slowly, with a lovely joint of roast beef - very, very good. Love all your wines, Eddy, so thank-you - this is going on repeat!

NEW VINTAGE Chateau Qanafar
I've been waiting for this!

Chateau Qanafar 2016
Merry Christmas! 🍷🎄 🍷🎄🍷

Beautifully balanced. I decanted it, as suggested in the notes, and left it for half an hour before tasting. First sip was very nice and over the next hour or so it really opened up. Really glad that I have more bottles of this wine. Touches every smell and taste receptor. Well done Eddy; especially considering the extreme circumstances in your Country at the moment. I hope you and your family stay safe.

This is a special wine. One to be savoured and enjoyed with a special meal.