Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 98
Made from 100% old vine Grenache, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Amiral G (only 120 cases produced) once again reminded me of Barroche’s Chateauneuf du Pape Pure. There may be a touch of Mourvedre included in the blend. The 2010 tips the scales at 16% alcohol. As a colleague said, “This is like ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ it’s just fifty shades of Grenache packed into one bottle.” Just short of perfection, this exquisite 2010 boasts huge aromatics of creamy strawberries, black cherries, raspberry jam, spring flowers, flowers, licorice and lavender. A wine of enormous stature, majestic richness and no hard edges, it is about as sexy as Grenache can be. This magnificent example of old vine Provencal viticulture will provide immense pleasure over the next 10-15 years … if you can resist it that long.
Anticipated maturity: 2012-2027
Vinous 94.5
(100% old vines grenache): Opaque ruby. An explosive perfume of black and blue fruit preserves, sexy vanillin oak and incense. Broad and chewy on entry, then fleshier and smoother in the mid-palate, offering deeply concentrated blueberry and boysenberry flavors lifted by a subtle mineral quality. Tannins build through an impressively long, alluringly sweet finish, which features a touch of candied lavender.
Jeb Dunnuck 99
A new cuvee that’s a blend of 100% Grenache that is aged all in new demi-muids, the 2010 Château de Vaudieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape Amiral G. was one of the most spectacular wines I was able to taste during my two weeks spent working in the Rhône Valley. It offers up a profound bouquet of kirsch liqueur, spice, rolled stone minerality, garrigue, and crushed flowers (among other things) that flows to a full-bodied, elegant, yet decadently textured Châteauneuf-du-Pape that has unbelievable purity, no hard edges, and a blockbuster finish. Just jaw dropping good, it is a must taste for any pure Grenache lovers out there! It will be hard to resist young, yet I suspect it will age beautifully as well.
