Community Tasting Note

• Collector1855 wrote: 98 points

  July 4, 2013 - Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010 - Check-up on 20 Top names; 4/1/2013-3/18/2016: Well, it is a RP 100 pointer, expensive and difficult to find. Against this backdrop I opened this bottle on my B-day, independence day, with my brother who is also an experienced wine collector albeit with more of a forté in Bordeaux and California than CdP. Alongside we had the Clos des Papes 07. The two wines could not be more different. The Deus ex Machina, dark ruby, started with a closed and reductive nose which only opened up after 1h with notes of dark fruit, garrigue, coffee and Asian spices. On the palate the wine is highly structured with lots of ripe tannins and good acidity. Very powerful but very good balance and freshness. To me that is, next to the 2010 vintage which is always mineralic and fresh, the Mourvedre which makes all the difference to the more oxidative Grenache. The Clos des Papes, also a very nice CdP but Grenache only, was much more in the red fruit kirsch/cherry/red current corner with more odixative, hot and meaty notes. RP likes both very much and gives both of them very high notes. For me, and also tonight for my brother it became clear that we both prefer the more fresh CdPs which use a big enough Mourvedre component to make that freshness happen, e.g., Grand Veneur VV, Clos du Caillou Reserve, Beaucastel Hommage, Pegau da Capo, Gigondas Santa Duc Haut Garrigues, Gigondas St.Cosme... Try out for yourself to see in which camp you fall.

  7 people found this helpful 10,238 views

1 Comment

• cr84 commented:

  7/8/13, 8:16 AM - Thanks for the full, complete, note! This wine is indeed expensive and difficult to find, particularly for foreign buyers. Mourvèdre is for sure a great component which adds a lot when properly used. The trend nowadays tends to find the perfect equilibrium among Mourvedre/Syrah/Grenache to get the finesse most fine drinkers enjoy instead of a too-ripe juice.

Add a Comment