Chateauneuf du Pape 2010

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition was even better than when I tasted it last year prior to bottling. A wine of great intensity, it may be the finest Tradition cuvee yet made at Bosquet des Papes. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by sumptuous notes of balsam wood, roasted Provencal herbs/garrigue, sweet black raspberry and blackberry fruit and hints of truffles and lavender. This dense, full-bodied, amazing Chateauneuf is one of the top values of the vintage. Enjoy it over the next 15-20 years. I have been following the wines of this estate since 1978, when the parents of Nicolas Boiron produced the wines. Nicolas, one of the tallest vignerons in the village, has been in charge for a number of years, and has unquestionably hit pay dirt over recent vintages. While many top-notch wines have emerged from Bosquet des Papes over the last 25 years, I do not think they have ever had a greater vintage than 2010, which has been followed by some of the finest wines of the vintage in 2011. Consumers should be looking out for this domaine’s wines as the quality has soared even higher than it already was. In 34 years of tastings, every time I go back to a wine region I seemingly know extremely well, there are always surprises, both wonderful and disappointing. My recent tasting at Bosquet des Papes ranks as the most remarkable I conducted on my trip to the southern Rhone Valley.

Score: 94

Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2012 - 2032 01 October 2012