The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Barberini is virtually two-thirds tank-aged Grenache with the balance Syrah and a little (about 10%) Mourvedre, the latter aged in small oak barrels. It exhibits a dense ruby/purple color and a more modern style than the traditional cuvee or the 100% Grenache cuvee Cornelia Constanza reviewed below. Despite its so-called -modern leanings,- which some people deplore, this is a beauty. Dense purple, with elegant blueberry and blackberry fruit as well as hints of garrigue, vanillin and spice box, it is dense, full-bodied, yet wonderfully precise and fresh, given the vintage's liveliness and vibrancy. In light of some noticeable tannins, give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20+ years.
One of the most significant estates in Chateauneuf du Pape and one of the earliest to estate-bottle, the Lancon family has been producing these wines for many, many decades. They have 75 acres, with most of it situated in the widely renowned rocky plateau in the eastern part of the sector know as La Crau, the hottest, earliest-maturing sector of the appellation. The Lancons don't believe in showing barrel or tank samples, so everything I tasted was already in bottle, and no 2011 reds were tasted. The 2010 vintage is another strong one for them, keeping their track record of hitting home runs for much of the last decade intact.
Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900
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