2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois

Almost as good as the Barbe Rac, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois (100% Grenache from 100-year-old vines and clay soils) is a stunner that offers loads of upfront dark fruits, spiced cherries, chocolate, garrigue and a slight saline-like minerality on both the nose and palate. Full-bodied and impressively concentrated, with rock-star texture, notable purity and good underlying structure, it’s a serious, fruit-loaded Chateauneuf that will have 10-15 years of longevity.||While the tasting with Michel Chapoutier for his northern Rhônes is a mammoth one, the southern Rhone lineup is a more manageable size. These wine are certainly high quality across the board, and while the Barbe Rac is one of the top wines in 2012, don’t miss the value priced wines from this estate; they sell for a song and always deliver value. His northern Rhônes will be covered in Issue 216 and I’ll also have his Languedoc and Roussillon releases out early next year. eRobertParker.com.October, 2014

Jeb Dunnuck    Score: 94/100