2005 Domaine de Marcoux "Vieilles Vignes" Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1110923 97 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Utterly profound, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (16.7% natural alcohol) is a blockbuster. Full-bodied with great intensity, superb richness, and tremendous floral, truffle, meaty, raspberry, and blackberry-scented aromas, this wine, which comes from three well-known parcels in Chateauneuf du Pape (La Crau, Gallimards, and Esquirons) exhibits high tannin and good acidity, but the massive fruit and richness from these old vines dominate the wine’s personality. Although it is tasting profound at present, shrewd buyers will give it 4-5 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following two decades. (10/ 2007)

97 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

Dark red. Suave, room-filling aromas evoke red fruits, lavender, rose, minerals and pungent herbs. Overwhelms the palate with sweet raspberry, cherry, cassis and floral pastille flavors, picking up silky tannins with air. Gains power on the finish, which displays uncanny depth and clarity. A stunner (1/ 2008)

95 points Wine Spectator

Round and lush up front, with a huge core of crushed plum and macerated currant fruit laid over dark tar and loam notes. Starts to strut its stuff on the back end, where plenty of Kenya AA coffee, tobacco and licorice root notes fill out the fleshy, racy finish. There's a great graphite underpinning. Best from 2010 through 2024. (11/ 2009)