Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 95
There are roughly 2,800 bottles of the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes to go around. Always a blend of 100% Grenache from three terroirs — Charbonnière, Esquierons and Galimardes — it is completely destemmed and aged all in stainless steel (there wasn’t enough to fill a larger barrel). The wine possesses a perfumed, complex profile of black raspberry and blackberry-like fruit, spring flowers, licorice and damp herbs. This is followed by a full-bodied, voluptuously textured wine that has layers of sweet fruit, fine tannin and terrific length. It lacks the sheer depth and richness that’s found in top vintages of this cuvée (2006, 2007, 2010, among others), but should still have 10-15 years of longevity, and deliver loads of pleasure for all of it. There are few wines I’d rather drink than a great vintage of Domaine de Marcoux’s Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, and this cuvee is once again one of the top wines in 2012. Located in the northern portion of the appellation, this impeccable estate is managed by sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier, and they produce two red Châteauneuf du Papes (the traditional cuvee and the Vieilles Vignes), a superb Côtes du Rhône and a high quality Lirac, which unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste for this report.
Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027
Vinous 94
Vivid ruby. Heady, expansive raspberry and boysenberry scents show superb clarity, with notes of incense and star anise emerging with air. Palate-staining red and dark berry flavors deepen and become sweeter with air while maintaining vibrancy. A smoky mineral quality adds definition and lift to the finish, which features silky tannins and an exotic touch of blood orange. This flamboyant wine checks in at 16% alcohol but I'd never have guessed it.
Anticipated maturity: 2019-2030
