2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé Dom. de la Vieille Julienne

Possibly the wine of the vintage and a mind blowing Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the 2010 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve is off the charts and delivers a vivid, complex, and detailed bouquet of sappy flowers, violets, licorice, black currants, and smoked earth-like qualities on the nose. Full-bodied and perfectly put together on the palate, this powerful, elegant Châteauneuf-du-Pape has incredible richness and depth, yet stays light, ethereal, and weightless in the mouth. Up there with some of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, it needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve beautifully for over two decades.

There are 500 cases of the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve. At 16.4% natural alcohol, the pleasure police will no doubt suggest this wine is hot and out of balance. However, nothing could be further from the truth as there is not a trace of heat in this modern day legend in traditional Chateauneuf du Pape. Yields were under 20 hectoliters per hectare, and the vines utilized for the Reserve were planted in 1904. Virtually all Grenache with the balance probably including Syrah and Mourvedre, this is a field blend. An inky/purple color is accompanied by notes of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries. There is a sappy precision to its formidably endowed, massive mouthfeel. Sadly, this profound Chateauneuf du Pape is nearly impossible to find. It should evolve easily for 20-25 years.

(made from a yield of only 15 hl/ha according to Daumen): Opaque purple. Intensely perfumed scents of cherry-cola, blackberry liqueur and Asian spices, with an exotic floral overtone. Weighty but sharply focused black and blue fruit and lavender flavors display superb clarity and palate-staining concentration, with a spicy nuance emerging with air. The floral quality lingers on the extremely long, sweet and subtly tannic finish. One of the stars of this outstanding vintage.