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Indeed, all along the year, 2012 did not spare the Vignerons : even the savviest got confused, almost losing their points of references, while dealing with its tricks ! Heterogeneity in the vineyard would bear, right from the start, the mark of damage caused by winter frost. Sadly enough, very old Grenache and Syrah vines did not survive this frost. Loss of a precious heritage, impact on the yields of the upcoming harvest, Vignerons were already under pressure…
Conversely, the months of July and August were extremely hot, speeding up the maturing process, as a first step, but worsening water stress, in a second. Rarest reaction, the Vignerons came to bless the rains that fell beginning of September, as they profitably revived the phenolic ripening of the grapes. In the end, deciding the right moment to pick up grapes caused the serious Vignerons a real headache ! To the extent that the harvesting of the different cépages, in the different parcelles, followed a more than widely unusual order…
And now, for one more uncommon observation : opting for a later harvest was not necessarily the winning choice, in 2012 : the exception that
proves the rule !
Now, at this stage, as the Wines are nearing the end of the fermenting process,
they already impose their real potential : they are very, very, good… Thus, they lead us to admit that, from contrasts, Harmony can arise...
Bas de la Crau.
Type of soilSand.
Ageing12 months in one and two vintage barrels - Allier et Tronçais. Then 12 months in foudre.
14°C
Decant 2 hours before tasting.
14,5%
BottlingWithout fining and filtration.
CépagesGrenache : 100 %
Fresh and succulent, with well-stitched damson plum, cherry and blackberry fruit. Warm fruitcake and bergamot notes hang in the background. A flash of shiso leaf lines the silky finish.
James Molesworth
Wine Spectator
, 93/100
, 2015-04-30
Bright violet color. Intensely perfumed, lucid red berry and cherry aromas are complemented by hints of anise, allspice and candied lavender. Silky, sweet and expansive, offering vibrant raspberry and floral pastille flavors and a suggestion of spicecake. Shows a darker side on the long, sappy finish, which leaves a note of blackberry liqueur behind. Pretty suave stuff and flat-out delicious now, but with plenty of upside for cellaring as well.
Josh Raynolds
Vinous
, 94/100
, 2015-04-01
Warm blackberry nose; lush and smooth with sweet berry fruit and spice; generous and elegant with concentration and depth; juicy and lush with enormous charm and great aging potential. 100% Grenache.
Anthony Dias Blue
The Tasting Panel
, 94/100
, 2015-03-01
Opaque ruby. Heady scents of red fruit preserves, potpourri and anise, with sexy Asian spice nuances building in the glass. Sweet, high-pitched and sharply focused, conveying a seductive, juicy quality to its black raspberry, mineral and lavender pastille flavors. Finishes long and sappy, with smooth tannins and a lingering floral element.
Josh Raynolds
Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar
, 91-93/100
, 2014-02-01
Pale rim on a crimson core. Very sweet, treacly and jewelly but more animal and less fresh than the Vieilles Vignes. Certainly very particular but possibly less typical of the appellation as a whole
Jancis Robinson
, 18/20
, 2013-12-31
Coming all from the La Crau lieu-dit and sandy soils, the 100% Grenache, 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale is a gorgeous, medium to full-bodied barrel sample that gives up loads of plum sauce, blackberry, garrigue, saddle leather and pepper on the nose. Aged all in 3 to 5-year-old barrels, it is an elegant, yet rich and concentrated effort...
Robert Parker
Wine Advocate
, 93-95/100
, 2013-10-01