Slightly lighter in color than the Privilege, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Eternelle is the richest, most concentrated and multidimensional of these four cuvees. Impressively endowed with abundant notes of Provencal herbs, and black and red fruits mixed with hints of licorice and loamy soil, it should drink well for a decade (an atypically long time for a 2011).
(Not yet released)
Domaine des 3 Cellier represents one-half of the residue of what was previously reviewed under the name Domaine Saint-Benoit. The three Cellier brothers, Ludovic, Julien and Benoit, are the eighth generation of a family of wine growers in Chateauneuf du Pape. They own nearly 35 acres of vines spread throughout 24 different plots, and the wines they have been producing recently are better than what was achieved under the Domaine Saint-Benoit label. The 2011s are close in quality to the estate’s 2010s, with perhaps the advantage of being slightly more open-knit, forward and precocious. The 2010s are made from similar blends.
Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, NJ; www.royalwine.com