A blend of Syrah and Grenache aged in barriques is the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale, which comes from some of the estate’s oldest vines. It is an opaque purple-colored, super-concentrated, rich effort displaying lots of creme de cassis, black raspberry, licorice, graphite and truffle characteristics. This impressive, full-throttle, modern-styled wine retains enough Chateauneuf du Pape typicity to satisfy traditionalists. Consume it over the next 12-20 years. These are impressive efforts from Franck, Olivier and Guy Mousset, members of a notable family that has considerable holdings throughout the appellation. In addition to these three Chateauneuf du Pape cuvees, the Moussets occasionally produce a 100% Mourvedre offering called Grand Clos. I have always enjoyed these wines and prices tend to remain stable as well as reasonable. The style tends to be traditional with a few nods to modern winemaking. Most of the Chateauneuf du Papes are aged in cement tanks, old foudres or small old oak, with the exception being the Grand Clos, which is aged in new oak, and the Cuvee Speciale, which is Grenache and Syrah aged in a combination of old and new small oak barrels. All three 2010s performed extremely well. The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape and 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Reservee traditionally styled efforts and the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale a more modern take on wines from this area of Provence. Importer: W. J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463

The stunning 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale offers dense, powerful blue and black fruits intermixed with camphor, a subtle touch of barbecue smoke and toast. The complex aromas are followed by a thick, unctuously textured, silky wine with stunning concentration, purity and overall equilibrium. This is a mouthfilling, bigger than life 2009 that comes close to the style of many 2007s. It should drink well for 15 or more years. (Not yet released) Owned by the Mousset family, this 34-acre estate makes three separate red cuvees in top vintages. Importer: W. J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463

The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Speciale is a different animal altogether. A blend of 40% Grenache and the rest equal parts Syrah and Mourvedre, it exhibits a gamy, meaty nose displaying hints of lard, roasted herbs, smoked figs, and black fruits. Full-bodied, deep, and chewy, with moderate tannin, it is a well-built, muscular wine to forget for 2-3 years, and drink over the following 15 or more. Guy Mousset and his family make these consistently excellent Chateauneuf du Papes. There can be as many as four cuvees produced, depending on the vintage, but their 100% Mourvedre offering was apparently not produced (or certainly not presented to me) in either 2007 or 2006. Importer: W. J. Deutsch and Sons, Ltd., White Plains, NY; tel. (914) 251-9463