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Member Reviews:
 Silky
Love the wine. It was like silk flowing down the palate.A very good choice
-- Sunny from Bonita Sprints, FL
Bold beautiful CDP
This is a really big wine with a nose full of kirsch and road tar. Dense, righ fruit on the palate. There are some tannins but they are not intrusive. Cries out for grilled meat. I plan to hold the rest of this for at least a year because I'm sure it will be even better then, and I hope I don't drink it up too fast. I'd give it 95 points.
-- Ron from Rolla, MO
Just as it should be
Tried a bottle last night and was knocked out! Straight out of the bottle the wine was delicious and smooth - for lack of a better term, the word juicy came to mind. All one would expect in a CdP was there - in spades. I can't wait to try it with other dishes (last night was mushroom risotto) although this wine is absolutely delicious on its own.
-- Christopher from Alameda, CA
Fresh From the Bottle - WOW
This wine was awesome. Very full, silky smooth. Very full taste.. Had to hold back from just drinking it down. Will buy more.
-- Timothy from Westmoreland, NH
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A Run At Chateau Rayas
Way back in 2006, just as we were beginning this little adventure, we were cellar hopping in and around Chateauneuf-du-Pape, as we had for the previous 15 years. There's always been one little quadrant of the appellation that we've found most intriguing. Given our palate preference and the way the world's wine trails seem to be heating up, that patch has become more and more precious with each passing year.
Unlike the more clayey parcels further south, the rows we were walking that day were of finest sand. To the right was arguably the most storied property of Chateuneuf-du-Pape, Chateau Rayas. We began collecting Rayas in the late 1980s, and many of those early purchases continue to sing the southern Rhone's most ethereal Burgundian melody.
The newest player on this beachfront block would be Domaine de la Barroche. We'd met Julien Barrot for the first time just a day before. A year later, Barrot would release the 2005 "Pure" — a bottle that would create a global feeding frenzy after Robert Parker dropped his 100 point score.
The guy who was leading us on that morning vineyard stroll knew all about Chateau Rayas. Laurent Brechet's personal cellar was packed with back vintages. Brechet had also been closely following Barrot's work at Barroche from the moment Julien returned. Now, Laurent explained, he had to make a call. Either he could do as most do down here when the competition is stiff -- figuratively bury his head in the sand, keeping costs in line as he rode Rayas's coattails into the cash flow sunset. Or he could roll the dice. It wouldn't take long to figure out that Brechet hadn't been raised to play second fiddle. He'd already cut the deal with super-enologist Philippe Cambie, setting the stage for Chateau Vaudieu's run at Rayas.
Just a year after bringing in Cambie, whose modernistic styling of ancient vine Grenache always features explosive, forward flavors, tremendous out-of-the-gate opulence, silken texture and soft, voluptuous finishes, the guy Robert Parker calls the "Michel Rolland of the Rhone" began reshaping Vaudieu. The cost wouldn't be for the faint of wallet, but Brechet hadn't brought in Cambie to play it safe. Philippe dropped fruit in 2006, spiking sugars and phenolic maturity, putting out a bottle that would startle the critics. But the following year, the 2007 Vaudieu Chateaneuf-du-Pape stunned not only Robert Parker, but even Brechet's storied neighbors.
There are two critics who make the world go round in the southern Rhone. One is Robert Parker. The second is James Molesworth of Wine Spectator. Beginning in 2007, Vaudieu has mesmerized each. First it was Parker who called the lavish 2007 "irresistible" before dropping each of those 92pts. Then it would be Molesworth, pouring it on in 2009 with the 93pt rant that you're welcome to read below.
Before we get to the numbers, we want to thank the Brechets for not only making the drive all the way down to that cozy little Bar a Vin in Gordes, but for toting along that jawdropping vertical of Chateau de Vaudieu, beginning in 2006. But additionally, an even more special thanks to Laurent for offering us the last cases of Parker's 92pt 2007, from the vintage RP called "the greatest in 30 years."
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Tasting Notes
2007 Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape
"The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a full-bodied, exceptionally aromatic effort displaying plenty of sweet black cherry, licorice, garrigue, and earth as well as a subtle note of oak in a full-bodied, opulent style. As the wine sits in the glass, whiffs of raspberries and figs also emerge from this substantial, fleshy, irresistible Chateauneuf du Pape. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years."
92 points -- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate
2009 Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape
"Ripe and very polished, with black currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit allied to solid tannins that are deeply embedded on the finish. Hints of toasty anise, spice cake and graphite fill in the background. The polished feel makes it seem accessible, but this is densely packed and merits cellaring. Best from 2012 through 2022."
93 points -- James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
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*Important Shipping Information
- This is a Pre-Arrival Offer: Weather permitting, wine will begin shipping upon arrival, in September, 2012.
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