2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes

The greatest wine I have ever tasted from this estate (and I don’t think that’s an overstatement) is Chante Cigale’s 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre from 65- to 125-year-old-vines, it was aged 40% in foudre, 30% in concrete and 30% in a combination of old and new small oak. This wine boasts off-the-charts intensity, full-bodied power and abundant notes of roasted Provencal herbs interwoven with lavender, creme de cassis, kirsch, black raspberry, truffle and smoked meat-like characteristics. Rich, full-bodied and extraordinarily structured and massive, this 2010 begs for 4-5 years of cellaring. It should keep for 25-30+ years. Bravo! An old estate, Chante Cigale, which owns nearly 100 acres of vineyards (45 separate parcels) throughout the northern and southern sectors of Chateauneuf du Pape, is owned by the Favier family. Currently, it is managed by the young, super-talented Alexandre Favier. Some of the estate’s finest plots are planted in sandy soils (in which Grenache seems to flourish) located next to Chateau Rayas. The spectacular Vieilles Vignes cuvee, which was first made in 1996, comes primarily from Bois Dauphin as well as Les Pialons (from where Daniel Brunier’s Roquete emerges) and the plateau of Cabrieres north of the village. Chante Cigale’s 2010s may be the finest wines I have ever tasted from this estate. Importers: David Bowler Wine (212) 807-1680; Elite Estates, Braintree, MA; tel. (781) 348-8000 and Wine Adventures, West Des Moines, IA; tel. (515) 222-0866