2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire

Opaque ruby. Heady aromas of black raspberry, cola, spicecake and lavender, with a bright mineral overtone. Rich but energetic, offering intense red and dark berry preserve flavors that show outstanding clarity and a suave floral pastille nuance. Refuses to let up on the long, gently tannic finish, which leaves sweet dark fruit and spice notes behind.

Les Cailloux’s 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire, while exceptional in quality, may not be up to the level of the greatest Cuvee Centenaires made to date, the 2007, 2003, 1998, 1990 and 1989. Produced primarily from Grenache planted in 1889 blended with Syrah and aged in barrel, the dense purple-hued 2010 displays lots of creme de cassis, vanilla and wood spice intermixed with licorice and roasted herbs. This medium to full-bodied, opulent, rich effort is impressive, but it is not one of the most prodigious examples of this cuvee made by Andre Brunel. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Importer: Robert Kacher Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 239-1275

Even better and a monumental wine in the making, the profound 2010 Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire (tasted just prior to bottling) smells of a Provencal street market and offers up gorgeous aromas kirsch, raspberry, dried flowers, spice-box, roasted meats, and licorice on the nose. Coming from a single plot of very old Grenache (there is a touch of Mourvedre in the blend) and aged all in tank, this exuberant, hedonistic-bent Châteauneuf-du-Pape is full-bodied on the palate and delivers a voluptuous, mouth filling texture, brilliant concentration, and a blockbuster finish. Eclipsing the ’07 and up there with the ’90 (I think even better), this is monumental stuff that every Châteauneuf-du-Pape lover needs to have in the cellar!