After what appears to be a very long exhausting week, I was indeed happy it was Friday morning. Friday is indeed a wrap-up-the-week meetings with contractors, code reviews, upcoming task scheduling and delegation, one lunch meeting with the boss and I am done for the week. As I turned on the computer at 6:40AM, expecting to be flooded with emails from the day before, I was pleasantly surprised to see exactly two emails! One from my spam filter-blocker listing all the emails, either marked as spam or specifically blocked and the other from my neighborhood Wine store - Bermans. Ignoring the spam lister email, I went straight to the wine newsletter. One simply cannot ignore the newsletter called "Great Châteauneuf du Pape Specials 2004-2005".

The newsletter offered six spectacular wines, and very very decent prices for these wines. The listing comprised couple of the domaines that I knew and others I had no clue on. 7:05AM I had shot a reply back with "I want a set!" to Joel Berman (owner of the Bermans Liquor store). There was no way I was going to pass this up.

I have had very few Châteauneuf du Pape and have yet to have one that I did not like. It is considered the most famous Côtes du Rhône of all the ten appellations. Just a few miles north of Avignon on the slopes of Provence, are some of the most well known Domaines. The listing and details (I added some more notes from my research):

{Edits: To add the images and grape varieties}

	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape-Bois de Boursan, France A burly style, with lots of braised chestnut, game, black pepper and beef leading the way. There's a solid core of black currant fruit, with a long, structure-driven finish that shows great herb and mineral notes. Best from 2009 through 2022. 3,750 cases made. (Score: 92) Grape: 65% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% Other
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape-"Cuvee Felix" Bois du Boursan, France Very solid. This is packed with black currant and fig paste notes pushed by dark, loamy tannins, with notes of grilled herb, iron, black olive, tobacco and mineral. The finish is long and structured. Best from 2009 through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 455 cases made. (Score: 94) Grape: 65% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 5% Other
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee Etienne Gonnet" Font de Michelle, France Domaine Font de Michelle produces deeply colored, juicy, sweet, very modern styled Chateauneuf du Pape. This wine is a masterpiece made largely from 90-year-pld Grenache. It is rich and smoky, with coffee, truffle and tar notes up front, but also plenty of plum, black currant and fig fruit. Long, rich finish lets the fruit and truffle notes play out nicely. Best from 2007 through 2022. Only 1,250 cases made. (Score 93) Grape: 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre
	2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Saint Prefert "Collection Charles Giraud", France Domaine Saint Perfert Made from 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre from 60-100 year old vines, has a gorgeous, salty sea breeze smell that seems to be component of the best wines from the Mediterranean with peppery Provencal herb and mineral notes. Best from 2007 through 2026. Only 330 cases made. (92-95) Grape: 60% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre
	2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieux Donjon, France Wine Spectator: Juicy and spicy with lots of raspberry ganache and blueberry notes offset with hints of mulled spices, black tea and fig cake. Really picks up steam on the finish, with a racy, mouthwatering minerality. Should age beautifully. [The owners] went back to using stems in 2005, after dropping them in '04-and the great rugged texture is back too. Drink now through 2025. (Wine Spectator: 95, Robert Parker: 90-93) Grape: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre and Cinsault
	2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Clos des Papes, Southern Rhone, France The wine has a fabulous bouquet of kirsch liqueur, raspberries, licorice, and a combination of spice and Provencal herbs. It is rich, full-bodied, with high but sweet tannin, good acidity, and a blockbuster finish of close to 45+ seconds. This is a knock-out wine that will probably need 4-5 years of bottle age and last for 20-25 years. Grape: 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% others