2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes

Glass-staining ruby. A drop-dead, heady bouquet evokes red and dark fruit liqueur, lavender, sandalwood and smoky minerals. Strikingly energetic and lithe, offering pliant black raspberry and boysenberry flavors and exotic floral pastille and spicecake qualities. Supple tannins come on late and add shape to an endless, penetrating finish. This stunning wine was one of my favorites of this year's Rhone Valley marathon.

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 ground pepper notes. Exceptionally pure, textured and built like a skyscraper, this sensational effort will drink well for 20-25+ years. One of the classic family-owned domaines in Chateauneuf du Pape (of which there are many), Domaine de Marcoux is run by two dynamic sisters, Sophie and Catherine Armenier. The estate, which can trace its history back to 1344, has only been estate bottling since 1978. It owns over 40 acres, all of which have been biodynamically farmed since the early 1990s as this was one of the first properties to move to this strict style of farming. Both cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape were made in 2011, and in a year that saw a relatively large crop, yields were reduced at Marcoux, averaging 22 liters per hectare. They had to do a Draconian-like triage on the grapes during the harvest. The 2010s are very successful at Domaine de Marcoux. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Even more impressive and age-worthy is the 2010 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. This blend of close to 100% Grenache comes from the oldest vines on the estate and is always from the three lieux-dits of La Crau, Les Gallimardes, and Esquirons. It offers up a spectacular bouquet of floral-laced red and black fruits, beef broth, seaweed, licorice, garrigue, and a rolled stone-like minerality, as well as a full-bodied, rich, yet elegant and pure feel on the palate. Quite tight and structured at this tasting, it nevertheless has gorgeous mid-palate concentration, loads of texture, perfect balance, and a beautiful sweetness to the tannin. Give bottles 5-7 years in the cellar, and then plan on drinking over the following two decades.