2008 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Special Vieilles Vignes
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Tasting notes
The 2008 Tardieu-Laurent Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Spéciale is100% Grenache, from 80-100 year old vines and sandy soils, that’s aged all in new oak casks, It’s meaty and round, displaying ripe aromas of smoked meats, lavender, wild herbs, and black olive on the nose. Perfumed and slightly exotic, the wine is medium+ bodied on the palate, delivering a fleshy, full texture, sound balance, and a relatively upfront personality. Certainly outstanding, however, the herbaceous quality here gives me pause and it will be interesting to see how this ages, with my fear being it turns overtly herb/fennel driven. As it stands, it’s drinking superbly, and I would play it safe and drink bottles over the coming 5-8 years.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Dense ruby. Exotic red and dark berry preserves, flowers and incense on the nose. Spicy, impressively pure raspberry and cherry flavors stain the palate and becomes sweeter with air. Shows a lot of depth for the vintage. Finishes with very good clarity and nervy cut, repeating the floral note.
Glass-staining ruby. Seductive perfume of raspberry, cherry pie, Asian spices and potpourri. Very spicy, sharply focused red fruit flavors are complicated by seductive spice and floral pastille notes. This seamless wine finishes with impressive clarity and resonating florality and should be delicious on release. This was made entirely from 80-to-100-year-old grenache vines grown on the sandy bottom slope of La Crau. There was no de-stemming.
Paler than the Vieilles Vignes cuvee with a definite brownish tinge. Smudgy rim. Rather a tired sample. Pity. I assume this is not the wine’s fault, and will try to judge the wine ignoring the slight oxidation. Fizzy and energetic with opulence and richness and roundness. Much livelier than the Vieilles Vignes. Inky and tarry but this should be an exciting wine. There is real drive to this sweet, juicy wine which is so fleet of foot that you hardly notice the alcohol and richness. (JR)
About the producer
Product details
Grenache/ Garnacha , Syrah / Shiraz, Mourvedre/Monastrell/Mataro, Cinsault
Red
Dry