2009 Vacqueyras Cuvee Lopy

The top cuvee, the 2009 Vacqueyras Cuvee de Lopy, is composed of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah from 75 year old vines. A stunning effort, it boasts a black ruby hue along with notes of black raspberries, black cherry jam, camphor, licorice, truffle and roast beef. There is almost a grilled charcoal/bloody steak component to this intensely flavored, full-bodied Vacqueyras. With sweet tannins, a wonderful succulence and a full-bodied texture, it should drink well for a decade or more. One of the most brilliant producers in Vacqueyras is Domaine Le Sang des Cailloux (meaning “blood from the stones”). Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchants, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-01524

A touch better, with a slightly more serious feel, the 2009 Domaine le Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras Cuvée Lopy is named after the farm where the winemaker was born and is an old vine selection of destemmed 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah that’s aged in 2-3 year old barrels for 12-15 months. It shows blacker styled fruits with loads of licorice, charred earth, leather, and spice aromatics as well as a medium to full-bodied, substantial texture, fantastic length, and a pure, focused finish. This serious Vacqueyras should benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and drink beautifully for 10-12 years.

Looks a dramatically concentrated purple. This smells oddly and exotically of chocolate-covered prunes! Perhaps not for purists but there is sufficient juice there until some fizzy drying tannins on the finish. Certainly distinctive! (JR)