2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Tradition, Domaine Giraud, Rhône

2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Tradition, Domaine Giraud, Rhône

Product: 20108212973
 
2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Tradition, Domaine Giraud, Rhône

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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Description

A blend of 60% Grenache, a high 35% of oak-aged Syrah and 5% Of Mourvèdre, this is a dense and rich Châteauneuf, fleshy and rich, with black cherry and kirsch liqueur dominating the palate and impressive tannins on the finish.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer, February 2012

With the weighty (in every sense) guidance of Rhône guru Philippe Cambie, Marie Giraud has re-invigorated this property, energising it with a pleasing combination of natural charm, organic viticulture and sensible yields. 2010 has, as Marie advises with pithy precision, ‘plus de buvabilité’ than its immediate predecessor.

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate94/100
The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition (made from the same blend as the 2011) is incredibly rich, concentrated and complex. The best value in their portfolio, it offers a dark plum/purple color along with copious notes of garrigue, pepper, licorice, black raspberries and kirsch. A super, full-bodied Chateauneuf with terrific purity and palate presence, it can be enjoyed over the next 15+ years.
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 31/10/2012 Read more
Jancis Robinson MW17.5/20
60% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre. 35% aged in barrique, 65% aged in concrete.
Blackish crimson. Broad and spicy nose. Very sweet and rich. Super dramatic. Perhaps more alcohol than many? But I don’t think anyone would be disappointed by this. Still quite dry on the end but there is so much fruit here I am confident it will triumph in the end. Cuts off just a tad on the finish.
(Jancis Robinson & Julia Harding MW - www.jancisrobinson.com - 20 Dec 2011) Read more

About this WINE

Domaine Giraud

Domaine Giraud

Domaine Giraud is new to our list this year. Having espied an impressive progression over the last three years, we feel that the 2009 has progressed even further. Marie Giraud is the talented winemaker and advice from the larger-than-life consultant Monsieur Philippe Cambie has brought the property to the boil. The biodynamic approach to viticulture was more than a match, it seems, for the intense heat of high summer, when moisture was at a premium.

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The most celebrated village of the Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the birthplace of the now indispensable French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée system – imperfect though it may be. Compared to the Northern Rhône, the vineyards here are relatively flat and often feature the iconic galet pebbles – the precise benefits of which are a source of much debate. Minimum alcohol levels required by the AOC are the highest in France, but at 12.5% it is well below the natural generosity of Grenache, which only achieves its full aromatic potential when it is fully ripe and laden with the resultant high sugars. Syrah and Mourvèdre contribute the other defining elements in the blend, adding pepper, savoury spice and structure to the decadent Grenache. There are a further 10 permitted red grape varieties which can be used to adjust the “seasoning”. Of the five white varieties permitted, it is Grenache Noir’s sibling – predictably perhaps – Grenache Blanc, which dominates, though Roussanne shows a great deal of promise when handled well, notably at Château de Beaucastel.

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Southern Rhône Blend

Southern Rhône Blend

The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.

The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.

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