Rasteau 2020 offers intense aromas of black fruit and blueberries, lifted by a touch of spice. The density and depth of the palate associate fruit and minerality with remarkable persistence.
The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (350 cases produced) was made from low yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare. This wine oozes black raspberry and blackberry fruits intermixed with floral, forest floor, garrigue and... Read More
Well-built, with a steady intensity to the waves of white peach, star fruit, acacia, honeysuckle and mirabelle plum. Delivers flashes of lemon shortbread and quinine through the finish, giving it both plump and racy elements.... Read More
Tasted as a tank sample of the final blend, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a blend of approximately 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% other permitted varieties, with about 30% whole bunches used in... Read More
From some of the appellation's cooler sites and 60- to 80-year-old vines, the 100% Grenache 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis is a stunner. It has a true sense of garrigue, along with dark fruit, peppery spice and rich, velvety... Read More
While no 2021 was presented, the 2020 Gigondas is stunningly good and is loaded with notions of red cherries, framboise, sappy flowers, and pepper. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced Gigondas offering... Read More
The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is a powerful, dense, inky/ruby/purple-hued, quintessential example of Provencal winemaking with lots of graphite, black currant, kirsch, licorice, and herbs de Provence/bouquet garni notes, tremendous... Read More
Deeper and more concentrated, with medium to full-bodied richness and depth, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier (70% Grenache, 10% Cinsault, 5% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre) has fabulous purity in its blackberry,... Read More
The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier is a blend of 85% Grenache with 15% Cinsault. It pushes the ripeness up a notch from the traditional cuvée toward blackberry, plum and chocolate but remains lively. It,... Read More
Marked by scents of Provence herbs, cherries and blueberries, the 2019 Gigondas is another successful example of this Southern Rhône appellation. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's rich and velvety in feel, with a long... Read More
Isabel Ferrando informed me during my visit that she planned to eliminate the Reserve Auguste Favier and Collection Charles Giraud bottlings, folding those lots and the tradition Saint-Prefert Châteauneuf into a single,... Read More
Jaboulet's 2017 Hermitage La Maison Bleue is flat-out sexy stuff, full-bodied, plush and generous without being overripe or unstructured. Licorice, cassis and Asian five-spice powder burst from the glass in a complex whirl... Read More