2010 Tour Saint-Michel - Chateauneuf-du-Pape Feminessance
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Tasting notes
Dark ruby. Pungent aromas of cherry-vanilla, blueberry and oak spices, with a floral pastille quality gaining strength with air. Broad and velvety in texture, with very good intensity and a spine of juicy acidity. Turns sweeter on the finish, leaving behind notes of cola and vanilla. I wish the oak were throttled back a bit here but I'm hopeful that the substantial fruit can handle it as the wine ages.
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
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The most masculine and ruggedly constructed of these wines is the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Feminessance, which is not nearly as evolved or seductive as its siblings. A blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah aged in small oak barrels, it reveals the most saturated ruby/purple color of this trio as well as more structure and tannin, and meaty blackberry and cassis notes intermixed with white flowers and forest floor. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20 years. The wines of Tour Saint-Michel have been dramatically rising in quality over the recent vintages. Owned by two women, Elaine Fabre and her daughter, Mireille Porte, assisted by well-known consultant Xavier Vignon, this large estate was created in 1930, and now encompasses over 90 acres of vines. In most top vintages, three cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape are produced. I only tasted two offerings in 2011, both of them very good. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Easily the most modern in the lineup, yet absolutely beautifully done, the 2010 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Feminessance is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah that is aged half in new, and half in 1-year-old, French oak barrels. It offers up an intense array of black cherry liqueur, blackberry, white chocolate, vanilla, and spice box-like aromatics that give way to a full-bodied, seamless palate that has a decadent, almost voluptuous texture, pure fruit, and brilliant richness. I am certainly a fan, but it will not be for everyone given the modern slant. Nevertheless, I think the oak and modern profile here will mostly integrate with 4-5 years of bottle age, and it will have 12-15 years or more of total longevity.
Full ruby. Exotic, oak-spiced aromas of candied red and dark berries and potpourri. Lush, expansive and juicy, offering powerful raspberry and cherry-vanilla flavors that stain the palate and become spicier on the back end. Very rich but graceful as well, finishing with impressive thrust and lingering sweetness.