2013 CHATEAU MAZANE VACQUEYRAS ROUGE  90-92 Pts (nouveau domaine / new vineyard)

“Opaque ruby. Powerful, spice-accented dark berry and floral pastille aromas are complicated by suggestions of licorice and cola. Sweet and broad in the mouth, offering intense boysenberry and cherry flavors and a good whack of peperry spices. Close on a chewy note, with building tannins and a lingering note of candied licorice. In a brawny style and built for cellaring, or so it appears at this stage.”

2013 GRANDE GARRIGUE VACQUEYRAS ROUGE  90-92 Pts

« Ruby-red. Bright, highly perfumed aromas of red berry liqueur and garrigue, with a smoky topnote building slowly. Tangy, precise raspberry and bitter cherry flavors show good energy and back-end lift. Finishes clean, focused and spicy, with silky tannins and resonating red berry chatacter. This suave, fruit-forward wine bears a strong resemblance to a ripe Pinot noir.”

2013 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE 88-90 Pts

$53 (70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre) : Saturated ruby. Expansive aromas of dark berries, licoroce and candied flowers, with a hint of cracked pepper adding urgency. Supple, broad and a touch warm, offering pliant black and blue fruit flavors and a hint of cola. Finishes sweet and long, with smooth tannins adding shape and gentle grip.

2013 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE « LES ORIGINES » 90-92 Pts

$70 (50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Syrah) : Bright violet color. Aromas of dark berries, cherry and licorice, with a bright spicy overtone.  Plush blackberry and cherry-cola flavors tighten up with air and show very good energy for their depth. A hint of white pepper appears on the finish, which lingers with appealing sweetness and slow-building tannins.

2013 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE « VIEILLES VIGNES » 91-93 Pts

$120 (50% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre) : Vivid purple. Complex, expansive aromas of black and blue fruit preserves, licorice, fruitcake and smoky minerals, with a sexy floral note emerging with air. Palate-coating boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors become sweeter and divelier with air, picking up a hint of candied lavender on the way. Tightens up ont the long, youthfully tanninc finish, which features intense dark berry and peppery spice qualities.

2012 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE 90 Pts

Deep ruby. Ripe cherry and dark berries on the perfumed nose and in the mouth. Smooth, sweet and open-knit, with a spicy note adding back-end lift and cut. Combines richness and vivacity smoothly, with a smoky note building and carrying through the finish.

2012 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE « LES ORIGINES » 92 Pts

Deep ruby. Expressive red and dark berry aromas are complicated by nuances of spicecke, anise and candied flowers. Juicy, focused and pure ont the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors that firm up slowly with air. Shows excellent clarity and power on the finish, which lingers with echoing floral and berry skin notes.

2013 DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE ROUGE « VIEILLES VIGNES » 93 Pts

Opaque ruby. Highly perfumed bouquet of ripe dark berries, potpourri and sandalwood, with a mineral note adding vibrancy. Round and seamless on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and boysenberry flavors and a strong jolt of candied rose. Quite suave and approachable, finishing with solid punch, gentle tannins and lingering spiciness.

($45) (85% grenache, 10% syrah and 5% mourvedre): Glass-staining ruby. Musky, floral-accented dark berry and cherry aromas expand with air and pick up notes of anise and allspice. Fleshy and sweet on entry, then firmer in the middle, offering bitter cherry and blackcurrant flavors and a hint of dark chocolate. Closes with strong cut and grip, leaving spice and cherry notes behind. Approachable now but this wine has the balance to age.

2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 89

($47) (40% grenache blanc and 30% each of clairette and roussanne, all raised in stainless steel): Pale yellow aromas and flavors of poached pear, candied lemon and ginger. Vibrant and precise, with a dry, stony edge and good finishing bite. No excess fat here.

2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Fontaine 92 

($70) (100% roussanne raised in barriques): Light gold. Seductive aromas of lemon curd, truffle, anise, smoke and honey, plus a leesy nuance. Rich and spicy in the mouth, with the leesy quality adding depth to sappy citrus and orchard fruit flavors. Shows very good delineation and verve for a rich wine and finishes smooth, spicy and very long.

2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape 90-92

(70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvedre): Youthful purple. Deep, rich nose combines dark fruits, licorice, smoke and a floral element. Lush, ripe and deep, but with surprising energy to its blackberry and cherry flavors. Quite powerful for an entry-level wine. Finishes smooth and long, with a persistent dark berry preserve quality.

2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Les Origines 92-94

(50% grenache, 30% syrah and 20% mourvedre, aged in barriques): Opaque purple. Intense, mineral-accented aromas of cherry, cassis and violet, with a spicy topnote. Deeply pitched dark fruit flavors are complicated by floral pastille and fruitcake nuances and lifted by sneaky acidity. Shows excellent clarity and power on the floral finish.

2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes 92-94

(50% grenache, 30% mourvedre and 20% syrah, raised in new barriques): Glass-staining purple. Very ripe on the nose and palate, offering roasted plum and cherry compote qualities and notes of oak spice and candied flowers. Exotic and densely packed, with a velvety texture and slow-building licorice and bitter chocolate nuances. Finishes with string spicy bite and very good persistence, leaving notes of cherry pit and star anise behind. Vintage 2009 :

2009 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape 91

($45) (70% grenache, 20% syrah and 10% mourvedre): Opaque ruby. Pungent aromas of blackberry, cherry pit and violet, with hint of exotic fruits in the background. Fleshy and expansive, offering penetrating dark fruit flavors that are complemented by smoke and floral pastille qualities. Finishes sweet and long, with resonating spiciness and an echo of bitter cherry. This wine is complex enough to enjoy now, especially after an hour of decanting.

2009 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Les Origines 93

($70) (50% grenache, 30% mourvedre and 20% syrah): Glass-staining ruby. A highly complex bouquet evokes black raspberry, mulberry, potpourri and a hint of pit fruits. Deep but vivacious, offering expansive red and dark berry flavors and suggestions of fruitcake and allspice. Finishes with impressive focus and length, echoing the red fruit and spice notes.

2009 Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes 93

($125) (50% grenache, 40% mourvedre and 10% syrah, from vines that reportedly are over 50 years of age, with some over a century old): Opaque purple. Black and blue fruits on the nose, with vanilla, anise and violet notes adding complexity. Lush, palate-staining blackberry and boysenberry flavors show excellent depth and are lifted by a bright, spicy quality. Echoes the anise and vanilla notes on the finish, which clings with impressive tenacity. I underestimated this wine last year.