Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2010
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert -
Spectator
Wine - Decanter
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Suckling
James - Vinous
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
As with many houses in the region, the cépage for the red wine at Clos des Papes is based on a majority of Grenache, with smaller quantities of Mouvèdre and Syrah. The remainder of the blend consists of small amounts of some of the lesser-known varietals approved in the appellation, namely Muscardin, Counoise and Vacarèse. The wines spend their infancy in tank and are then transferred to large foudres for an élevage which lasts approximately 14-15 months.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Utterly classic Clos de Papes in every way, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape is still youthful and in its early adolescent phase, offering a beautiful mix of still pure, clean fruit and more peppery, spicy, leather, and complex Southern Rhône-like street market goodness. Rich and powerful on the palate, it's flawlessly balanced, has ripe, polished tannins, and a monster of a finish. It's just a beautiful, quintessential example of this First Growth-like estate in the South of France.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Unprompted, Paul-Vincent Avril pulled a 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape from the admirable library stock he maintains at Clos des Papes. Who was I to say no? A stupendous effort that seamlessly marries full-bodied richness with a sense of lightness and ease, it's really just now maturing, although it has been drinkable for some time. Leather accents raspberry and blackberry fruit on the nose, while the long, silky-textured finish adds delicate notes of star anise, peppery spice and black olive. This complex, elegant masterpiece should continue to drink well for another decade and then some. Best after 2015
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Wine Spectator
Lots of cocoa powder and coffee frame a massive block of dark plum, black currant and fig fruit, while massively endowed tannins stride from start to finish. Cassis, anise and Lapsang souchong tea notes hang in the background for now, but should emerge more with extended cellaring. The very dark, almost brooding finish is dominated by charcoal-coated grip, but the purity still wins out in the end. A very, very large wine. Best from 2017 through 2035.
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Decanter
Undoubtedly one of the greatest Châteauneuf vintages of recent times, up there with the 1990 - and perhaps the 2016; time will tell. It's deeply coloured still at seven years of age. Deep, dark and brooding on the nose, it's starting to take on some balsamic and forest floor notes. The palate is very harmonious, powerful and assertive, with firm, structural tannins. This is still very fresh, sinewy and tightly wound - it's not ready yet, but will be spectacular when it is.
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James Suckling
A perfumed nose of wild dark berries, leather, cloves, black olives and dried leaves. It's full-bodied with polished tannins. It's ample with lovely velvety texture. It's slightly punchy on the mid-palate, but remains balanced and focused. Funnelled long finish.
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Vinous
The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a serious wine. I vividly remember tasting this red for the first time at the winery shortly after release. Like it did back then, it leaves quite an impression today. The 2010 unwinds in the glass with gorgeous cherry liqueur, raspberry jam, dried lavender, tobacco, cured meat, leather and exotic spice aromas. It is powerful and deep, framed by ripe tannins and a complex finish. Kudos to Paul-Vincent Avril and his team for crafting this ravishing beauty.
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There are no fewer than 24 different plots of land, which include some of the most beautiful soils in the Chateauneuf vineyards. The geographical separation of our vineyards enables us to control ripeness at harvest time, since each sector does not necessarily reach the exact same stage at the same time. It also allows us to combine different varieties planted to the south. "Clos des Papes makes both red wines and white wines (10% of the production) for long-keeping, using traditional vinification and maturing. As I mentioned previously, our yields are deliberately low (an average of 28hl/hectare). and then undergo further strict sorting, to uphold our quality.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.