Domaine de la Janasse, Châteauneuf du Pape (Rhône Valley, France) 2015

 With eight years of age on this bottle, it is drinking wonderfully.  Vielles Vignes, which translates to “Old Vines,” is the Domaine de la Janasse’s flagship cuvée.  The fruit is just starting to show signs of bottle aging, with wild strawberry, fig, prune, and leather notes.  The wine’s youthful power is still intact, suggesting there is a clear path for further development from aging.  This wine is still widely available on the market.  The winery suggests cellaring past the 10-year mark but, based on the way this is drinking now, I find it perfectly acceptable to start enjoying today.