93 - 96pt Chateauneuf Triple Threat Steals from Vaudieu!

When it rains, it pours.

Opportunity abounds in a market where there’s, literally, too much good stuff.  Most of the time it’s not the wine’s fault, just a matter of wrong wine at the wrong time.

Though, personally, we think Chateau Vaudieu is pretty much the right wine all the time, and especially at these limited-time prices.

As we stated in our previous offer on Vaudieu’s awesome Amiral G, Chateau de Vaudieu and the Brechet family have been on some sort of tear in the last few years. With the guidance of superstar consultant Philippe Cambie the wines have taken a gigantic leap up in quality, and they weren’t bad before!

The wines are constantly among the elite of the vintage, every vintage, and today’s lusty beverages are no exception.

The Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos du Belvedere 2014 is from the highest situated vineyard at Chateau Vaudieu and was planted to 100% Grenache Blanc by the then-owner Gabriel Meffre, probably in the late 1950's. When he discovered that these hilltop vines could be seriously damaged by wind he built a high wall of cement stones to protect them, thus the 'Clos' part of the name. Today, the Brechet family, along with superstar consultant Philippe Cambie, produce a compelling, full-bodied white Chateauneuf from these old vines, aged in a combination of steel tank and older barrels with less than 350 cases produced every year.

93 points from Wine Spectator, who wrote, “This sports a ripe, enticing core of Peach Melba, apricot and melon fruit, but stays focused and balanced, with streaks of bitter almond and salted butter on the finish. Delicious.”

The Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Val de Dieu 2012 is a limited-edition cuvee from the winery using a bit more Syrah in the blend from vines that average over 60 years of age.

95 points from Wine Advocate’s Jeb Dunnuck here, who commented, “A knockout bottle of wine, the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Val de Dieu is made from 78% Grenache, 13% Syrah and 9% Mourvedre, is completely destemmed, and aged 18 months in new demi-muid, of which every trace is soaked up. Showing fabulous sweetness and purity on the nose, with black raspberry, black cherry liqueur, crushed flowers, white pepper and hints of licorice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, solid mid-palate depth and ultra-fine tannin. I think it will age beautifully, but given its polish and seamlessness, it’s a superb drink even now.”

Last, but certainly not least, we have a few cases left of the Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf du Pape Amiral G 2012, the top of the line cuvee from Vaudieu and a delicious ‘buy’.  It was an absolute knockout right out of the gate at our recent tastings.  Classic Chateauneuf demeanor and size, but a creaminess and polish that is more akin to a Grand Cru Burgundy.  Everyone that tasted the bottle was enthralled.  We could continue with our rant but Jeb Dunnuck did a pretty good job of making the case with a 96-point score and some glowing words.  

In talking about this one he said, “…the 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Amiral G is up with the crème of the vintage. Made from 100% Grenache, completely destemmed, and aged 18 months in new demi-muids, it possesses a singular style in its sweet bouquet of black raspberry, strawberry, red licorice, rose petal and garrigue. Full-bodied and voluptuous on the palate, with beautiful concentration, no hard edges and building, finely polished tannin, this awesome Châteauneuf can be consumed anytime over the coming decade or more… These wines always have a polished feel, yet in my mind, stay firmly planted in the south of France and have plenty of Provencal character.” 

Again, the juice is special, and we just happened to come across an opportunity where we could take about 40% off the retails and get these wines down to where a lot of ‘regular’ Chateauneufs sell for. 

Good Hunting, quantities are limited…