“This (2010) is a great vintage that comes close in quality to 2007 in the southern Rhône. Some producers think 2010 eclipses 2007 because of the wines’ vivid freshness and focus... I can’t remember a vintage so concentrated, powerful and rich that also has such zesty acidity.”
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate November 2011
“…the 2010 vintage is an exciting one for the Rhône. The freshness of the wines in both parts of the Valley comes as an extremely handy asset, but the fruit is also complete, so bringing forward the critical word “balance”. Recent tasting of hundreds of 2009s and 2010s shows that two vintages ofhigh quality are storming into view…Rub your hands, batten down the hatches, and prepare to spend and to enjoy.”
Jonathan Livingstone-Learmonth, wine writer and Rhône
“With the 2010 harvest completed, France’s Rhône Valley now has back-to-back potentially outstanding vintages in both the northern and southern portions of the valley, following the difficult 2008 season. The only downside consumers may have to deal with is low quantities of wine.”
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
“Proprietors Celine and Bernard Chauvet own 37 acres in Gigondas, primarily on clay and limestone soils.The 2009 Gigondas is mostly Grenache blended with a bit of Syrah and is aged completely inwood foudres. It exhibits wonderful sweet black cherry jam notes intertwined with notions of crushed rocks and flowers. Impressively endowed, dense and full-bodied, it is a classic old style Gigondas that is purely made with no hard edges. Enjoy it over the next decade.
89–91 pts.” eRobertParker.com, Oct 2010
“The wines of the Grapillon d'Or estate figure among the top 100 Great Fine Wines of the world.” Decanter, Feb 2010
£189.00 / €257.99 per case of 12 Buy Online
“More dramatic, denser and richer, the 2010 Gigondas Les Racines offers up floral, red and black currant, raspberry and garrigue aromas as well as notions of wet rocks (which I associate with underlying minerality). It possesses a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel as well as surprising depth and length. The tannins are sweet, but the acidity gives the wine a zesty mouthfeel. Give it 2–3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10–15 years. 91–93 points.” eRobertParker.com
£75.00 / €87.00 per case of 6 in bond Order Online
Price shown is under bond and excludes VAT & duty. Wine will arrive early 2013.
“A member of the classic school of white Châteauneuf-du-Pape: more floral than fruity aromas and characterised by balance and freshness. It might dip in form between four and eight years, but the best vintages age as well as the reds.” eRobertParker.com
Crafted from 40-year-old vines of Clairette (40%), Grenache Blanc (30%), Bourboulenc (15%) and Roussane (15%) on the stony Plateau de la Crau in the south-east of the appellation where the villages of Bédarrides, Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Courthézon meet. Grapes are hand-picked with stringent double sorting at the vine. The fruit then undergoes pneumatic pressing with 50% fermented in vats and 50% in wood (barriques, demi-muids, foudres). Only 25,000 bottles are produced annually. The wine matches a variety of foods perfectly, including grilled or sauced fish, tomato salad with olive oil, and asparagus.
£431.46 / €537.95 per 12 bottles Buy Online
“La Crau. 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault. Blackish ruby. Sweetness and some really smooth interest here. Very ambitious in modern idiom. Quite dramatic. Though the fruit seems to have been picked quite late.” Jancis Robinson
£155.00 / €179.00 per case of 6 in bond Order Online
Price shown is under bond and excludes VAT & duty. Wine will arrive early 2013.
“Relatively light but well balanced. Rather pretty and even delicate! But racy and definitely Châteauneuf. Great vitality with light tannins on the end. A thoroughly attractive drink. One might almost call it playful. It’s just not that concentrated but the balance is great.”
Jancis Robinson
£252.00 / €317.16 per 6 bottles Buy Online
This Domaine is always a hit when we are tasting and 2009 is no exception. Daniel Brunier manages to get very fine minerality into his wines and this La Roquete showcases this very well. Unlike Vieux Télégraphe this wine is from three separate terroirs within the same plot, which adds depth and complexity to the wine. Plenty of dense, rich fruit, a trademark of the hot 2009 vintage, with great minerality to balance and a lingering finish. Highly recommended in Decanter tasting: “Delicate nose of warm spice. A rich and smooth mouthfull with bright cherry fruit and peppery lift. Authentic and ballsy but is also so fresh and elegant at the same time. It has alluring sweetness. Lovely.” Decanter, Jan 2012
Robert Parker 90–92 points
£139.86 / €164.13 per 6 bottles Buy Online
Traditional growing techniques are employed to produce this wonderful wine from the Brunier family in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grapes are hand-picked, with stringent double sorting at the vine. The grapes undergo pneumatic pressing before fermentation takes place partly in vats and partly in wood. It is yellow-gold with aromas of mango, peach with a smoky mineral undertone. Lush, mouthfilling tropical fruit flavours are laced with minerality with a tart lemon rind hint. Suave, penetrating, subtly sweet citrus flavors linger on a spicy finish.
£152.55 / €190.76 per 6 bottles Buy Online
Lieux-dits Roquette, Colombis, Pignan and Pielongs. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre. 10 months in foudre, 10 months in concrete. 80,000 bottles. “Revealing a slightly deeper color, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape possesses more concentration, power, definition and focus along with the vintage’s good acidity, freshness and vibrancy. It should drink well for 15+ years. Drink 2011–2026. 90–92 pts.” eRobertParker.com, Oct 2010
£95.00 / €110.00 per 6 bottles Buy Online
“This is Château de Beaucastel’s Côtes du Rhône and the pedigree shows. The wine is characterised by an array of lovely ripe Grenache fruit flavours tinged with a whiff of exotic liquorice spice. Excellent drinking over the next 3–5 years. 92–95 pts.” ERobertparker.com
Jancis Robinson 18 pts £120.42 / €175.10 per 12 bottles Buy Online
“The 2009 Beaucastel (30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise and the balance in other permitted varietals) exhibits an opaque purple colour as well as sweet aromas of camphor, truffles, black cherries, blackcurrants, licorice, pepper and forest floor. The wine is full bodied, rich, intense and powerful. Moreover there is a lot more tannin than there is in the 2008. Because of the significant tannins, the 2009 requires 3–5 years of bottle age and should evolve 25–30 years.”
eRobertParker.com, Oct £318.60 / €391.50 per 6 bottles Buy Online
“The Château de Beaucastel 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape is a classic blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, 10% Counoise and the balance other permitted varietals. Surprisingly ripe and soft with a dense ruby/purple colour as well as lots of blueberry, scorched earth and blackberry notes intermixed with hints of roast beef and bouquet garni, vintages of Beaucastel, this cuvee will be drinkable earlier than the normal ten years. I suspect it will put on more weight, so give it 5–6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following three decades. 92–94+ pts. Drink 2016–2046.”
eRobertParker.com, Oct 2011 “You know from both tasting and experience that this impressive Châteauneuf has the structure and spicy aromatic quality along with the concentration of plum and damson fruit and muscle to go the distance, in other words to improve once in bottle for a good decade before opening out. 91 pts.” thewinegang.com, Jan 2012
£235.00 / €260.00 per 6 bottles Order Online
Price shown is under bond and excludes VAT & duty. Wine will arrive early 2013.
“As usual, the 2010 Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet red is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and the rest Syrah, Counoise and other permitted varietals. It possesses crisp, tart acids, a fresh, lively, Burgundian-like personality, and plenty of red and black currants intermixed with sweet and sour cherries, earth, smoke, garrigue and unsmoked tobacco. The red is capable of lasting 20 years. 88–90 pts.”
eRobertParker.com, Oct 2011
£120.00 / €140.00 per 12 bottles Order Online
Price shown is under bond and excludes VAT & duty. Wine will arrive early 2013.
