2012 Château Sixtine Châteauneuf-du-Pape Manus Dei

Community Tasting Notes (9) Avg Score: 89.6 points

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  1/8/2022 - shellylowen Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Nice

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  10/11/2020 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 91 Points

  At under $40 in Ontario, this certainly falls on the lower end of the price range for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and it certainly doesn't have the concentration or depth, nor perhaps the complexity, one finds in higher-end offerings from this famed southern Rhône village. But such shortcomings aside, this is still an excellent wine, and excellent value for the appellation. In place of the sort of in-your-face potency of much Châteauneuf-du-Pape, there's a really nice reserved quality here, even with the 15% ABV. Upon opening, it's all about savoury black olives, perhaps even a light hint of balsamic adding even more umami character, but as it opens you get ripe blackberry and raspberry, including in stewed form, pepper spice, minerals, and purple flowers, all riding a wave of sharp acidity that suggests this is likely still a few years away from its peak (though the tannins are soft enough now). And what it lacks in depth it makes up for in length, as the finish goes on and on and the flavours linger on the palate. There's just such impressive balance here, knocked off-kilter a bit only by that acidity, and that, as much as the typical power, speaks to what makes Châteauneuf-du-Pape so special.

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  12/2/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 88 Points

  Mostly CdP (Dr. M's in Ohio City): Others seemed to like this better though the room was split. Nice solid cherries on the nose. On the palate, I found this thinner than the 2011 which surprised me. Raspberries on the palate. No licorice or anything else. Its a fine although pretty monolithic. Not a ton of depth. Nothing wrong here, but nothing exceptional either. I was told this cost $40. Plenty of Cotes du Rhone this good for half the price.

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  3/18/2016 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Beginning with the 2010 vintage, the Cuvee du Vatican name has been used for negotiant wines from the Côtes du Rhône and Châteauneuf du Pape while the estate Châteauneuf du Papes are labeled "Château Sixtine." The second wine from the estate is this bottling, called "Manus Dei du Château Sixtine." The 2012 iteration is a deep ruby blend of 40% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre and 25% Syrah. Dark bramble fruits, smoky black cherries, garrigue and allspice adorn both the nose and medium-bodied palate. Low acidity, medium sweet tannins and nicely integrated alcohol (14%) create a soft-textured frame that makes the wine very drinkable from the get-go. Gaining density in the middle and closing with medium length, this is a beautifully-crafted Châteauneuf that drinks well above its price point. Enjoy it over the next several years. Drink now-2022.

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  1/24/2016 - nectar14 Likes this wine:

  Perfumed red fruit, citrus nose. Glossy plum fruit and flowers, with lower acidity than other examples from the 2012 CndP flight. Very enjoyable.

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