CASE PRICE = $78.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)
Notes from the Winemaker:
Ageing:
18 months in 2 and 3 year old barrels.
Age of vines:
From between 70 to 80 years old.
100% Grenache
Tasting Notes:
Deep black robe with hints of purple.
Roasted hints and very ripe red fruit aromas.
Concentrated, powerful and explosive mouth with hints of cherries, ripe black fruits and licorice.
Ratings & Reviews
95 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"A
sensational effort, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (100%
Grenache from 70- to 80-year-old vines planted in pure sand) was aged in
2- to 3-year-old barrels. Incredible aromas of roasted Provencal herbs,
licorice, truffles, kirsch and black raspberries jump from the glass of
this dark ruby/purple-hued wine. Full-bodied and voluptuous as well as
extremely elegant and poised, the sweetness of the tannin and the wine’s
unctuosity and viscosity are all remarkable. This is a blockbuster, old
vine Grenache to drink over the next 15+ years.
Baptiste and Dominique Grangeon own a total of 32 acres of vines in the
northeastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape, so this is not a large
estate by any means. However, Domaine de Cristia has produced brilliant
wines in both 2009 and 2010, and the Grangeons are also responsible for
the wines called Chapelle St.-Theodoric (in conjunction with importer
Peter Weygandt) that are reviewed elsewhere in this report. The 2009s
have turned out exceptionally well, and 2010 looks to be the estate’s
finest overall vintage since 2007. Not surprisingly, the 2010s exhibit
even deeper colors than the relatively dark colored 2009s, and are
tighter and more tannic as well as fresher and richer." - Robert Parker
(Oct 2011)
94 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine"A dark, nicely toasty style, with bittersweet cocoa and espresso bean notes followed by muscular blackberry, black currant paste and braised fig flavors. The long, fleshy finish lets the cocoa edge hang on, with a tarry echo. This oozes fruit, but has the spine to go the distance. Best from 2012 through 2024. 333 cases made." –JM (Nov 15, 2011)
89-91 Points - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:"Deep ruby. Cherry-vanilla and blackberry on the oak-dominated nose. Broad, palate-coating dark fruit flavors are impressively concentrated but the oak is pretty intense right now. Finishes creamy and long, repeating the cherry and oak spice notes." - Josh Raynolds (Mar/Apr '11)
95-97 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2010 vintage):"The
2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is the top wine in this
impressive portfolio. Its inky/purple color is followed by spectacular
notes of blueberries, kirsch, licorice, spice box and forest floor.
Extraordinary purity, a voluptuous, full-bodied mouthfeel and a
spectacularly long finish suggest this awesome 2010 will age
effortlessly for two decades." - Robert Parker (Oct 2011)
