2009 Chateauneuf du Pape le Grand Pin

A spectacular Châteauneuf-du-Pape and easily my favorite of the bunch, the 100% Grenache 2009 Chapelle St. Theodoric le Grand Pin comes all from the sandy soils of the le Grand Pin parcel (borders the Rayas lieu-dit) and is aged in larger, 600-Liter demi-muids. A joint venture with importer Peter Weygandt and vinified by Baptiste Grangeon of Domaine du Cristia, it displays a transparent ruby color that leads to an ethereal array of kirsch liqueur, white pepper, melted licorice, and sappy, floral aromas on the nose. Grenache at its finest, this full-bodied beauty is pure silk on the palate, showing an elegant, seamless, and yet weightless texture, perfect balance, and fine-grained, polished tannin that frames the lengthy, heady finish. It will drink well for upwards of two-decades and Grenache lovers should not miss this!

Full, bright ruby. Explosive, seductively perfumed scents of fresh red berries, incense and Asian spices. Sappy, palate-staining raspberry and cherry flavors show both power and vivacity, with notes of star anise and candied lavender coming up with air. Finishes silky, sweet and impressively long, the floral and cherry notes echoing. I underrated this wine last year.

My highest score goes to the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Grand Pin. This impressive, deep ruby-colored, broad wine offers oodles of kirsch liqueur, black raspberry, sweet herb and meat broth-like characteristics, impressively sweet tannin, a full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning purity as well as length. Enjoy this 100% Grenache over the next 15+ years. This is a joint project between importer Peter Weygandt and Baptiste Grangeon of Domaine du Cristia. In essence, its aim is to showcase three totally different terroirs in Chateauneuf du Pape. The wines are made from biodynamically farmed parcels of sandy-based vineyards (Guigasse, Le Grand Pin and Les Sablons) and are bottled without fining or filtration. Les Sablons is aged in old, small oak barrels and the Guigasse and Grand Pin in larger 600-liter demi-muids. Yields for all three terroirs came in at an amazingly low 14 hectoliters per hectare (because of the drought in 2009 and the flowering problems with the Grenache in 2010). These are all remarkable efforts of extraordinary elegance and finesse that, stylistically, come closer to the styles one sees from nearby Chateau Rayas and further north, Domaine Charvin. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800