2011 Domaine La Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Pure
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Tasting notes
Winemaker Julien Barrot describes 2011 as a "really solar, ripe vintage," so it's not surprising that his 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure shows some warm, spiritous notes. "The Grenache was 17.3, so we blended in some Mourvèdre and brought it down to 16.99," said Barrot. Yet this full-bodied wine is still largely enjoyable, with notes of roasted meat, leather, black cherries, dark chocolate and licorice all in abundance. Drink up.
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Josh Raynolds
Josh Raynolds
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Bright purple. Room-filling aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, sandalwood, licorice and candied lavender. Sweet, deeply concentrated and expansive, offering palate-coating blueberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors and an intense floral pastille quality. Shows striking power on the sappy, penetrating finish, which is firmed by chewy but harmonious tannins. This bruiser weighs in at over 17% alcohol: consider yourself fairly warned.
Vivid ruby-red. Heady, intensely perfumed aromas of dark fruit preserves, incense and potpourri. Stains the palate with deeply concentrated boysenberry and cherry-cola flavors, with a spicy nuance adding vibrancy. Refuses to let up on the finish, which emphatically repeats the cola and spice notes. Very rich and velvety, with a hint of warmth on the back end. Barrot told me that this wine will likely be bottled at 17.3% alcohol. That is not a typo.