2012 Cotes du Rhone Lieu-Dit Clavin

(70% grenache, 10% cinsault, 10% syrah, 5% mourvedre and the balance a mix of "other" varieties): Brilliant ruby. Potent red berry and floral scents are complemented by deeper notes of licorice, cola and espresso, with a stony nuance adding lift and focus. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering concentrated raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of candied lavender. Smooth tannins add shape to the long, fruit-driven finish of this suave wine.

The 2012 Côtes du Rhône Lieu Dit Clavin is gorgeous, and gives a touch of the estate’s style for less buck than the Châteauneufs. Blackberry, graphite, licorice and violets all show here. It’s medium+-bodied, fleshy and ripe, with good underlying structure. It will have over a decade of longevity.||Jean-Paul Daumen continues to fashion some of the top wines of the vintage, in just about every vintage. We started the tasting with his 2013s and these have to be considered successes in the vintage. Finishing up harvest on October 17th, the wines have classic Vieille Julienne characters, as well as good concentration and ripe tannic structure. I think they’ll be some of the longest-lived wines in the vintage. Looking at the 2012s, these are stunning wines that show the more structured, age-worthy side to the vintage. While I normally prefer the Hauts Lieux, the 2012 les Trois Sources has more flesh and texture at this point. Either way, both are superb and warrant a place in your cellar. In addition, his Daumen label continues to offer serious bang for the buck. eRobertParker.com.October, 2014