2010 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1084325 96 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is a traditionally made cuvee aged totally in tank and foudre. Its inky/purple color is followed by a sweet bouquet of black olives, incense, blackberries, mulberries, black cherries and lavender. This perfumed, super-concentrated 2010 possesses good acidity, ripe tannin and a full-bodied, expansive mouthfeel. This mouth-coating, saturated, dense Chateauneuf du Pape has plenty of tannin to shed, so give it 3-4 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following two decades. (10/ 2012)

96 points Wine Spectator

*Top 100 Wines of 2012* This takes a decidedly old-school approach with its very distinctive bay leaf and juniper notes leading the way, along with roasted mesquite and alder wood. The core of steeped black currant, roasted plum and blackberry fruit waits in reserve while the long, ganacheand tar-filled finish has nice rugged grip, with a peppery echo. Should cellar wonderfully. Best from 2015 through 2030. (9/ 2012)

94 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Deep ruby. Deeply concentrated black and blue fruits on the nose and palate, with cracked pepper and floral pastille nuances adding complexity. Juicy and energetic, with superb finishing focus and floral-driven persistence. Impeccably balanced, with the depth to age effortlessly. (2/ 2013)