Brunel 1995 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux “Cuvée Centenaire” (Rhône) – Meat liqueur heavy on the salt. Youngish in a way, still showing blackberry amidst its more mature, meat-jerky stew components, but it’s fairly solid and unexpressive. And is that a remnant of vanilla? I wish I liked this more. (5/10)

Brunel “Les Cailloux” 1995 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône) – Open 24 hours, partially consumed, and the air is to the wine’s benefit, which shows a sweet, keening quality to the “fruit” (the usual distilled meat juice that passes for fruit in CdP), an open and generous texture. If CdP can ever be termed “pretty,” this might be a candidate. But it’s still very authentic. (1/08)