2022 Domaine de l'Abbé Dîne "La Reserve des Cieux" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Big and ripe on the nose, this really wasn't what I was expecting, but that's the problem with having expectations. There's this kind of cherry-berry fusion going on here, as well as some kind of dusty dried fruit in the back, like a sultana or fig and a touch of dried herbs rounding everything out. This is a really alluring wine, that I'm liking even more now than when we first tried it, the air really opening it up nicely and it's kind of unraveling its core a bit and showing its belly. The palate is crazy silky and the mouthfeel is just off the charts, the tannin is there but it's playing a super backstage presence to the fruit and acidity that are in the forefront, and then there's this kind of inky note at the core before you pass through and into the dusty cocoa fruit finish. This is just so nice and really easy and approachable, I would definitely decant for a few hours but the result is just pretty superlative. 10/10 would taste again.