2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Inspiration

Saturated ruby. Ripe, mineral-accented black raspberry, smoked game, candied flowers, garrigue and incense on the intensely perfumed nose. Velvety, sweet and concentrated; deep-pitched, iron-accented flavors of red and dark berry liqueur, candied lavender and fresh game are supported by a spine of juicy acidity. The marriage of richness to vivacity here is remarkable. Broad, fine-grained tannins build slowly and add shape to a strikingly long, vibrant, sharply focused finish that echoes the dark berry and floral notes emphatically and pretty much endlessly. This one-time bottling, which looks like a love child of Châteauneuf and Bonnes-Mares, was only produced in magnums.

Ruby-red. Heady, spice-tinged aromas of candied red fruits, lavender pastille, incense and licorice, with a smoky nuance gaining strength with aeration. Offers vibrant, palate-staining raspberry liqueur and bitter cherry flavors lifted by juicy acidity and a hint of white pepper. Supple tannins come up late and add shape to the strikingly long, sweet, penetrating finish. This wine is still aging in a foudre.

Still not in bottle, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Inspiration is more sexy and perfumed than the Cuvee da Capo, with incredible notions of roasted meats, saddle leather, sweet currants and Provencal herbs all emerging from the glass. There’s a single barrel of this full-bodied, deeply concentrated elixir and I’ve no doubt it will be very hard to come by. In addition, this cuvee is only bottled in magnum. Nevertheless, it is spectacular, and I suspect will also have close to three decades of longevity. This classic, benchmark estate for traditionally made wines is run by the talented, no-nonsense Laurence Feraud and her father Paul. While I struggle to think of a bad vintage here, 2010 certainly has to rank near the top of the heap and both the Cuvee Reservee and Cuvee da Capo are truly stunning, world-class efforts. 2011 is strong here as well, and should be consumed while you wait on the 2010s to come around. The 2012s are more in the style of the 2010s, with slightly more reserved aromatics, solid purity and beautifully fresh profiles. They too should be more accessible in their youth than the 2010s. A new development for this estate is the roughly 100+ new acres of Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Villages that have been purchased just south of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, roughly 4 miles from the domaine. Formerly called Domaine de la Jouve, it lies just outside the town of Sorgues and borders the Rhone River on its western edge. Now called Chateau Pegau, the wines from here include a white Cotes du Rhone, the Cuvee Lone, a red Cotes du Rhone call Cuvee Maclure and a red Cotes du Rhone Villages called Cuvee Setier. Laurence’s negociant label is call Selection Laurence Feraud and consists of purchased grapes from throughout the Southern Rhone. They always show traditional characters and can represent solid values. Importers: Dan Kravitz, Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA; tel. (540) 347-9400; Martine’s Wine, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400; and J & R Selections, Lansing, MI; tel. (517) 393-4441