The neighbour is after a drink tonight, this should do just fine.
Cornas Domaine de Rochepertuis 1997, Jean Lionnet
This has a nose of soft red fruit, with hints of chocolate and beetroot. It also smells warm and peppery. Perhaps there are hints of tiredness on the nose. Yes, it is a bit tired, the palate is a touch dry. However, it still has some nice red fruit, pepper and a reasonably sophisticated tannic structure (for Cornas, that is). It is perfectly drinkable, but perhaps would have been better a year or two ago. It’ll function as an after-work drink with the neighbour with no complaints from me (and hopefully none from him).
