This is an extraordinary wine, timeless in style, which will astonish, given time - exceptional.
The vintage

The quality of the wines, once again, has lived up to our expectations – offering some compensation for the yields in 2010 being extremely low, even lower than those of 2009 – already classified as a capricious vintage.
Relatively challenging conditions prevailed until the beginning of September…
Frost and humidity in the spring resulted in coulure (flower dropping). Grenache was particularly susceptible.
Cool weather during the summer and fairly strong rains at the beginning of September made for very slow and uneven maturation. Fortunately, remarkably good weather followed and the fruit took full advantage of the very favorable conditions - by mid-September, warm weather was certainly back. The vines, with a relatively small potential harvest, were ready to take full advantage of the optimal conditions. Those vignerons that were attentive waited, patiently, until optimal maturity was reached…
As a result, the fruit that was picked was essentially perfect, with superb concentration and ideal acidity levels, making wines with exceptional balance,
an exceptional achievement.
The 2010 vintage is already impressive and has so much promise and so much charm.

Terroir

La Crau.

Ageing

One wine selection of Allier and Tronçais casks.

Vinification

Non destemmed.

Tasting

This wine has an honest, straightforward Burgundy-like freshness. There is power here, measured and restrained.

Alcohol content

14,5%

Bottling

Without fining and filtration

Cépages

Grenache : 100 %

Saturated ruby. An expressive nose offers scents of redcurrant, raspberry, spicecake, potpourri and licorice. Lush and open-knit, showing intense red berry compote, anise and floral pastille flavors brightened by harmonious acidity. Finishes with velvety tannins and excellent, spice-dominated persistence. Has the depth to age but offers plenty of upfront appeal.

Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzers International Wine Cellar , 93/100 , 2013-02-01

A lush, opulent style, with captivating blackberry sauce, plum preserves and linzer torte notes draped over dense but polished tannins. Lots of dark licorice, cinnamon and roasted tobacco leaf notes fill in on the finish, which has the heft and cut of the vintage.

James Molesworth
Wine Spectator , 95/100 , 2012-10-31

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale is made from 100% old vine Grenache and 100% stems are used. The Grenache emerges from two well-known Chateauneuf du Pape sectors, La Crau and Mont Olivet. The tightly knit 2010 offers up hints of sweet raspberry and black cherry fruit, lots of tannin, a meaty, dusty, loamy soil/underbrush character, and considerable body. This is another structured, tannic 2010...

Robert Parker
Wine Advocate , 90-92/100 , 2011-10-01

100% 90- and 100-year-old Grenache. Much paler than the Vieilles Vignes cuvée and rather more subdued on the nose. Less dramatic; quieter, less flashy. This will doubtless come into its own but for the moment is a bit muted, biding its time, but is clearly made from very superior fruit, from the bottom of the Crau in sandy soils. Much, much chewier than the Vieilles Vignes bottling.

Jancis Robinson , 18/20 , 2011-11-28