The impressive 2009 Vacqueyras La Tour aux Cailles (60% Grenache and 40% Syrah aged in cement tanks for nearly 18 months) performed extremely well in my Vacqueyras tastings. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 12-15 years as I suspect it will be one of the longer lived wines of the vintage. Atypically backward for a 2009, with an opaque purple color, massive flavor concentration and extract, full body, and lots of black fruit, forest floor and pen ink-like characteristics, this blockbuster Vacqueyras is almost bigger than life. These two modern-styled Chateauneuf du Papes demonstrate the influence of small barrels and toasty oak.No known American importer.
