Tasting Notes

WA97

The 2010 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes has off-the-charts richness. Keep in mind, the elevage here is slightly different, as it is aged in one-year-old barrels with a touch of new oak, but like its sibling, no longer undergoes malolactic fermentation. A profound wine with hints of nectarine, mango, subtle smoke, rose petals, this sumptuous, full-throttle wine has unmistakable minerality, a skyscraper-like texture and an amazingly laser-like finish with incredible amounts of glycerin and fruit. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Although some vintages can last 20-30 years, they undergo radical changes in their evolution, making it almost impossible to guess where they are in evolutionary terms. 97+

WSM97

“I want to rub myself in it,” one taster said, completely seduced by this wine. He wasn’t the only one completely smitten by its play of cashew richness and firm warm stone, its billowy satin texture and its quiet wildflower tones. This is exceptional in its vivid portrayal of a place, the heat of the sun on stones and the cool of the air palpable in a sip, and yet it’s understated, elegant, the product of a patch of carefully tended roussanne vines that are a quarter-century old.

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