Reviews

Château de Vaudieu Châteauneuf-du-Pape Amiral G

You want an extreme sport style of richness? Amiral G. is the answer to all you've been looking for. This is probably the richest wine of the night. However, it is so tasty and charming that its…

Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina

One of the top wines in the lineup, the Ex Machina inched past the Sanctus by a hair due to the Machina's amazing concentration and complexity, even with its pile of ripe fruit off-loading on to the…

Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Not For You

Upon first sip, notes of bark and earth pinch the palate before the fruit begins to infiltrate the gates. More stemmy than sultry on the front end of the attack, the Not For You tells you right away…

Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Blackberry, black cherry, black licorice, black everything, this brooding cave-dwelling bat boy is ripe and gothic in posture. There is decent flex here as well, with its Emo personality still…

Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul

Sexy and powerful cassis and licorice notes lead the charge, with deeply pitched red and black berry notes rushing up to fill in the gaps. With air, the flow of flavor is even more expansive and…

Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Party-rockin' and sexy ta-boot, the Clos des Papes struts black licorice, blackberry, spice, and tears of shame like it's not coming back home til the next day. Ripe and ready, the black licorice…

Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Deux Frères

Fresh pine needles on the nose makes for a curious first sip, but the taste is all about succulent blackberry and saturated red raspberry fruit washing over the palate with such juiciness and…

Chimère Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Black raspberry, fresh orange peel, cardamom, plum, and cassis present in a subtly candied and liqueur-like fashion, but stay true to the region from where it is attempting to honor. Does it taste…

Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon

Amongst a number of the CdP beasts in the lineup, the Sabon was a beauty, with a well-orchestrated cadence of delivery and a sauntering flavor expansion, it offers flavors of red and black berry…

M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac

A funky cold medina, the Barb Rac was one of the more farmy and earthy of the bunch, with plum and red/black raspberry notes playing tug-o-war with the dirty overalls American Gothic (or rather,…

Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud

This is a total gym rat of a CdP, with power and chewy toughness forming the frame for ripe black and dark red raspberry fruit flavors punching their way through the palate (rather than along the…

Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire

Powerful and a bit edgy, the Cailloux Centenaire shows some cocktail elements that shoot the dark red and black berry fruit into the boozehound arena for now. Surprisingly watery on the finish,…

Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

Candied red cherry liqueur and dried flowers dominate the youthfully primary profile, with a linear expression of the varietal currently limiting the layering of the execution. A stunted flavor…

Mas de Boislauzon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Tintot

Even more resolved since my last note more than a year ago. Decanting helps to bring out the alluring saline notes and provide heightened seamlessness between the berry fruit and spicy pepper notes.…

Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

Black berry fruit, black licorice, black rock, ripe muddled raspberry and black cherry, peppercorn, and some mulch/freshly tilled soil notes are encircled by a decent amount of perceptible booze on…

Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud

Ya, so this is pretty rockin' juice. It needs a decent decant to blow off the slightest bit of booze (which is surprising how low the perceptible alcohol here is overall considering how its built and…

Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin

Pours clearer and more translucent than expected. A more feminine expression, with black cherry, garrigie, and some subtle earthy spice. The slightest animale note circles around the core. Finishes…

Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Black raspberry liqueur, huckleberry, deep plum, and some garrigue. Full bodied and full of life (and some booze - which took about an hour of exposed air before it blew off). Ultra flavorful on the…

Bosquet des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes

Pours clear and clean, with red and black raspberry, spice, garrigue, and some rainbow peppercorn. Medium weighted, with a moderate concentration and a notable balance overall. Finishes with some…

La Bastide Saint-Dominique Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hesperides

Plum, black cherry, huckleberry, earth, creosote, and subtle porcini mushroom notes pump from this full but controlled CdP. Faint dried flowers and garrigue flavors play peek-a-boo with the purple…

Domaine Saint Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve Auguste Favier

PnP was all about heat and ripe red fruit. A three hour decant kept at a cool cellar temperature helped a bit, but it stayed primary and linear throughout most of consumption. It gained all of its…

Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes

Ripe red cherry and raspberry, deep kirsch, subtle salami, and some wet stone. There is some heat here, and the 16% ABV is noticeable, especially on the finish. Comes off a bit overly fruity right…

Clos St. Antonin Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Holy Criminy this is a massive monster of a wine. Blackberry liqueur, ripe black raspberry compote, licorice, purple plum, creosote, tar, and wet rock. A voluminous mouthfeel and a rich mid-palate…

Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

Pours a crimson purple, with a clearer, lighter hue than expected; fairly muted on the nose, with some faint applewood and macerated cherry aromas. On the palate, balanced flavors of black cherry,…

Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc La Crau

Honeyed lemon, fresh ginger, pumice, quince, unripe white melon rind, pithy lemon seed, and some dry hay. Stayed pretty linear, even with a two hour decant. Finishes with promise, but generally…