Still capable of aging another ten or more years, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve continues to impress. Youthful notes of pencil shavings, vanilla and black cherries appear on the nose, which can't be that different from when it was released. Full-bodied, rich yet silky, hugely intense and powerful, it finishes long, dusted with elegant and luxurious notes of Christmas spices.