Clos du Mont-Olivet Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rhone, France, 2009, 750ml

Winemaker Notes
We selected a total of 13 older barrels for this, our “Cuvee Unique”—this is a wine that bowls you over with its abundant aromatics, its complexity and freshness on the palate and its staying power. A pure, rich ruby in the glass, the wine’s aromas suggest incense and warm sandalwood, with notes of espresso and a hint of grilled apricot. Textured and silky, flavors deliver savory black fruits, pepper and soy sauce. A blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre and 4% Cinsault aged in Mont-Olivet’s traditional casks and foudre.

Critical Acclaim

This red has a good sappy intensity, delivering flavors of kirsch and blackberry preserves that course along, followed by notes of graphite and iron that take over on the finish. Approachable now, but has the cut to cellar short term. Drink now through 2019. 4,000 cases made. – WS 92 Wine Spectator

The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape kicks up the intensity ever so slightly. It has a darker ruby hue and an elegant nose of black raspberries, sandy, loamy soil notes, roasted Provencal herbs, and hints of pepper and spice in a medium to full-bodied finish. A blend of 80% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, and Vaccarese aged totally in old wood foudres, it should drink nicely for 8-10 years.- RP 90 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate