2010 Chateauneuf du Pape

Bright ruby-red. Dark berries and cherry on the pungent, spice-accented nose and in the mouth. Powerful and energetic, with serious finishing grip and sneaky smoke and floral nuances. I'd have liked a little more sweetness of fruit.

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is both a strong effort and a terrific value. Its dark ruby/purple color is followed by lots of loamy soil, underbrush, forest floor, kirsch, licorice and roasted meat characteristics. Full-bodied and layered, the wine builds incrementally in the mouth exhibiting considerable purity, length and texture. It should drink nicely for 10-15 years. One of my favorite estates in the southern Rhone, Domaine de la Charbonniere is run with great passion and enthusiasm by Michel Maret, and more recently, by his two daughters. The Marets own nearly 44 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape, and one of their most under-valued and under-rated wines is their sensational Vacqueyras. They consistently produce four cuvees of Chateauneuf du Pape that are traditionally made, even though a handful of the wines spend time in small oak casks (although new oak is generally shunned at this estate). Other than one large parcel in the northwest sector of the appellation, Maret’s biggest holdings are all in the eastern area of Chateauneuf du Pape. The 2011s are all delicious, fruit-forward, surprisingly well-endowed efforts. As I reported last year, the 2010s are superb, and consumers can’t go wrong with any of these wines, which range from outstanding to prodigious in the case of the Hautes Brusquieres and the Cuvee Vieilles Vignes. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

A rock solid base cuvee that will delight any classical Châteauneuf-du-Pape lover, the 2010 Domaine de la Charbonnière (70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, and 15% Mourvedre aged in larger oak casks) offers up complex aromas of black cherries, toasted spice, licorice, new leather, and roasted meat qualities that flow to a medium to full-bodied, ripe, chewy palate. Concentrated, and with plenty of tannin structure, it will hit its stride at about age 5 or 6, and have 10-12 years of total longevity.