The gorgeous 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is in magnificent shape at age ten. It exhibits a bit of meatiness on the nose, joining those savory notes to notes of spice cake and plum. Full-bodied and amazingly plush and rich, it shows incredible complexity, adding notes of star anise and allspice to the mix on the lingering, elegant finish. It's a voluptuous beauty that should continue to drink well for another decade or so.

The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes displays the telltale blue and black fruit jamminess that this wine often has, with a voluptuous mouthfeel and wonderful notes of incense, truffle, pepper and forest floor. There is always a floral quality that goes with the blueberry and black raspberry fruit in this wine. Dense and rich, it is probably a tad less concentrated than the 2010, but very close in quality. This wine should drink well for at least 20+ years. Given the fact that the Armenier family can trace their roots in Chateauneuf du Pape back to 1344, one could say that they may have even more experience than the Chaves up in the northern Rhone, which only go back to the late 15th century! Run for well over a decade now by sisters, Sophie and Catherine, this biodynamically administered estate of 42 acres produces some of the very finest, complex, and most natural wines not only in France, but anywhere in the world. Perhaps the wine that is most under the radar for consumers is their brilliant white Chateauneuf du Pape.Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565