2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines

Inky purple. Ripe cherry and dark berry aromas are complicated by notes of spicecake and potpourri. Fleshy and expansive, offering sweet cherry-vanilla and blueberry flavors lifted by juicy acidity. Smooth, harmonious tannins lend shape to an impressively long finish, with lingering notes of floral pastilles and Asian spices. (JR)

Another blockbuster is the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Origines. A blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre (45- to-95-year-old vines) aged in small oak, it exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of blackberries, espresso roast, ink and graphite. While clearly a modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape, it retains plenty of the region's typicity and authenticity. It should drink well for 15+ years. With impressive holdings in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape as well as an ever expanding, high quality negociant business, brothers Christophe and Sebastian Jaume have taken this estate, established in 1826, to new heights. The estate wines, which are sold under the Domaine Grand Veneur label, are classic, quasi-modern-styled Chateauneuf du Papes that represent brilliant examples of their impeccable viticulture and winemaking. Interestingly, all three cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape were produced in 2011. That decision appears to be justified by the quality of what I tasted as well as their potential for extended maturity beyond a decade. As for the 2010s, the Alain Jaume offerings and the Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone cuvees were all reviewed in my report on the wines of Kysela Pere et Fils in Issue #201. The 2010 Domaine Grand Veneur estate wines, especially the Chateauneuf du Papes, are brilliant. Importer: Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA; tel. (540) 722-9228