Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Monumental stuff in every way, the blockbuster 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Le Clos du Caillou has put on even more richness and weight than when I tasted it on release ( and it rated 98). Inky colored, it offers up extraordinary aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, black cherry, crushed rocks, spring flowers and melted licorice to go with a full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, dense and layered profile on the palate. It needs to be tasted to be believed. Forget it for another 4-5 years, at which point it will evolve gracefully for another two decades. It’s that good.
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Wine Spectator
Stunning aromas and flavors of cassis, plum eau de vie and mulled blackberry fruit roll out, with notes of violet, pastis, apple wood and fruitcake all coursing through the dense finish. Terrific grip is thoroughly embedded. Should cruise in the cellar. Best from 2015 through 2030.
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Vinous
The full-bodied 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve bursts with intense tobacco, forest floor, dried red fruit, lavender and black olive aromas. Licorice and garrigue add spicy complexities. Framed by ripe and perfectly integrated tannins, the delicious 2010 delivers a long and powerful finish and maintains balancing freshness throughout. This is a majestic La Réserve built for the long haul.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.