Possibly rivaling the 2007, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is the standard 100% Grenache that was raised all in smaller, 2-year-old barrels. It's more forward and approachable than the Cuvee Renaissance and has an exuberant, perfumed, hedonistic character. Loaded with notions of black raspberries, peppery herbs, liquid violet and licorice, it doesn't pull any punches on the palate and is full-bodied, massively textured and decadent, with enough sweet tannin to keep it nicely focused on the finish. As I wrote when I first reviewed this wine right after bottling, it's a wine for unabashed Grenache lovers and will also have upward of two decades of life.

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is the top wine in this impressive portfolio. Its inky/purple color is followed by spectacular notes of blueberries, kirsch, licorice, spice box and forest floor. Extraordinary purity, a voluptuous, full-bodied mouthfeel and a spectacularly long finish suggest this awesome 2010 will age effortlessly for two decades. (Not yet released)Baptiste and Dominique Grangeon own a total of 32 acres of vines in the northeastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape, so this is not a large estate by any means. However, Domaine de Cristia has produced brilliant wines in both 2009 and 2010, and the Grangeons are also responsible for the wines called Chapelle St.-Theodoric (in conjunction with importer Peter Weygandt) that are reviewed elsewhere in this report. The 2009s have turned out exceptionally well, and 2010 looks to be the estate’s finest overall vintage since 2007. Not surprisingly, the 2010s exhibit even deeper colors than the relatively dark colored 2009s, and are tighter and more tannic as well as fresher and richer.Importers: Wine Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (800) 331-2829; Galaxy Wine Co., Portland, OR; tel. (503) 248-9493; George Molitor, Fine Vines, LLC, Melrose Park, IL; tel. (708) 343-6702; Wine Symphony, New York NY; tel. (212) 226-8283; ABC Fine Wines and Spirits, Orlando, FL; tel. (407) 851-0000