Had a couple of '10 Chateauneufs today that really impressed me.
2010 Domaine Saint Préfert- Chateauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Auguste Favier - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Quite a sexy wine, this. Extremely fragrant with floral tones and sweet crushed berries with hints of spice. Just a wonderful, silky and seductive mouthfeel. Not one I would necessarily call traditional, but not one I'd call modern, either as I get no wood on here. Rather, it seems to straddle the line nicely, with perhaps more emphasis on the fruit and mouthfeel with perhaps the exclusion of some rusticity. Raspberry kirsch and black raspberries that are ripe and sweet, but not roasted. A surprising lack of game or furry elements and the spice doesn't quite have the herbal elements of garrigue, but there are nice violet and lavender notes. More approachable than the Vieux Donjon that followed and ultimately a little less complex, but this is lovely. A-/A.
2010 Le Vieux Donjon- Chateauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Man, is this good. It's a big, but well balanced wine that really needs some time to unfurl, but the goods are there. Initially the classic iodine/seaweed, black olive, meat, violet and garrigue profile was out in front, with the black fruit tight fisted. With air, though, rich blackberry and black raspberry fruit came up with a vengeance and the sweet tannins did a bit of a rope a dope in the mouth. That said, however, like the Saint Prefert Reserve, there's a real sexiness to the wine and that's not something I would normally say about Vieux Donjon. Complex and just full of everything I like about Chateauneuf. My favorite VD since the stellar '98. It definitely needs some decant time to enjoy now, though. Solid A.
2010 Domaine Saint Préfert- Chateauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Auguste Favier - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Quite a sexy wine, this. Extremely fragrant with floral tones and sweet crushed berries with hints of spice. Just a wonderful, silky and seductive mouthfeel. Not one I would necessarily call traditional, but not one I'd call modern, either as I get no wood on here. Rather, it seems to straddle the line nicely, with perhaps more emphasis on the fruit and mouthfeel with perhaps the exclusion of some rusticity. Raspberry kirsch and black raspberries that are ripe and sweet, but not roasted. A surprising lack of game or furry elements and the spice doesn't quite have the herbal elements of garrigue, but there are nice violet and lavender notes. More approachable than the Vieux Donjon that followed and ultimately a little less complex, but this is lovely. A-/A.
2010 Le Vieux Donjon- Chateauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Man, is this good. It's a big, but well balanced wine that really needs some time to unfurl, but the goods are there. Initially the classic iodine/seaweed, black olive, meat, violet and garrigue profile was out in front, with the black fruit tight fisted. With air, though, rich blackberry and black raspberry fruit came up with a vengeance and the sweet tannins did a bit of a rope a dope in the mouth. That said, however, like the Saint Prefert Reserve, there's a real sexiness to the wine and that's not something I would normally say about Vieux Donjon. Complex and just full of everything I like about Chateauneuf. My favorite VD since the stellar '98. It definitely needs some decant time to enjoy now, though. Solid A.
