1 | Wine | Red Rhone Blend, 2010 | Page 5

"The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape is both a strong effort and a terrific value. Its dark ruby/purple color is followed by lots of loamy soil, underbrush, forest floor, kirsch, licorice and roasted meat characteristics. Full-bodied and layered, the wine builds incrementally in the mouth exhibiting considerable purity, length and texture. It should drink nicely for 10-15 years." -Robert Parker

"In this vintage, the 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel is decidedly huge. An exciting array of dark red fruit, black cherries, incense and tar come together beautifully. At first large-scaled and sweeping in personality, the wine finds more refined registers on the finish, where floral notes add a measure of lift and finesse. Today, the 2010 is a baby, though."

"Deep purple, with loads of bouquet garni, beef blood, blackberry, kirsch, smoke and truffle, this wine is full-bodied, rich and showing even better than it did last year. I still think it needs 3-5 years of cellaring, and it should last for 25-30 years, as most of the top vintages of Beaucastel do." -Robert Parker

"Provides a textbook display of the vintage's profile, with racy acidity leading the way, allowing the ripe blueberry, plum and blackberry fruit flavors to course along while toasted spice and pastis notes fill in on the nicely grippy, saturated-but-fresh finish. A nice blue-chip for the cellar."

"Reveals abundant aromas of crushed rocks, spring flowers and blue as well as black fruits in its darker, more cool climate style. It is completely different from the Grenache-dominated wines from the warmer climates of Cairanne, Rasteau, Vacqueyras or Gigondas. The impressive, deep, rich Vinsobres Les Cornuds comes from high elevation (400 feet) vineyards, and should easily age for 10 years." 90-93 pts, reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This is mouthfilling, with lush plum, blackberry and black currant fruit melded together, wrapped in substantial but silky tannins, and laced with a fine charcoal edge that adds length and definition on the finish."