The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape flirts with perfection. A classic blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and the rest Syrah, Vaccarese and Counoise, all aged in large foudres in Clos des Papes’s air-conditioned and humidity-controlled wine cellar, the wine boasts a dense purple color along with lots of gorgeously pure black raspberry, black currant and kirsch liqueur notes intermixed with notions of spring flowers, tapenade, licorice and spice box. This dense, full-bodied, powerful Chateauneuf is also remarkably fresh and well-delineated. It even exceeded the 2007 in natural alcohol, coming in at 15.9%. With an extraordinary texture and considerable tannin in the finish, it will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age, and is built for 25-30 years of cellaring. Don’t miss it!

This admirably run estate has essentially been practicing biodynamic farming for nearly 15 years, but they were not certified as biodynamic until 2011.
-Wine Advocate #203 Oct 2012

(96-98 pts)
The 2010 looks to be extraordinary. A slightly fresher and more elegant version of the 2007, I think it may well be the greatest Clos des Papes since the 1990 and 1978. The 2010 has a dense ruby/purple color, a beautifully precise and pure nose of deep black raspberry, black cherry, boysenberry and blueberry notes with some licorice, garrigue, and bouquet garni. Additionally, there is a meaty richness that probably comes from the Mourvedre and Syrah. It is an extraordinarily intense, fresh, lively wine with great finesse and elegance, which is somewhat unusual given the richness of fruit and the power of this wine. The color is a dense ruby/purple, perhaps slightly less opaque than the 2007, but very dark. This wine should evolve for 30+ years.

This is one of the great estates in Chateauneuf du Pape, with a history that dates back to the mid-1700s. I believe the Avril family first estate-bottled wine in 1896. Clos des Papes, with its 90+ acres of vines spread among 24 separate parcels in the appellation, is one of the traditional hallmarks of classic, long-lived Chateauneuf du Pape. Everything is aged in old wood foudres, no old vine or luxury cuvee is produced, and the red wine is a classic blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and the rest Vaccarese, Counoise, and Muscardin. It is generally not fined or filtered after aging 15 months in these old wood foudres. The white wine is an equal-part blend of Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, Bourboulenc, and one could argue that it might possibly be the longest-lived dry white of the appellation. Tasting here is always a treat, but it takes a while to work through all the different lots and then look at the potential assembled version of the 2010. I was consistently rating each foudre between a low of 92 or 93 to a high of mid- to upper-90s. That is as impressive as 2010 is. Avril told me that the average alcohol in 2010 was high on all the different lots, which is in keeping with recent vintages. (The 2003 was 15.6%, and the 2007 was 15.7%, while the final assembled version of the 2010 is 15.9% and the 2009 is 15.6%.) The 2010, paradoxically, has relatively high acidity compared to other top vintages. Since I had a few extra moments, Vincent opened a 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc, which I rated 93. I thought it was still very fresh and lively. Of course, he ended our tasting with one of the all-time classics of Chateauneuf du Pape and of Clos des Papes, the 1990, which is close to perfection.
-Wine Advocate #197 Oct 2011

Utterly classic Clos de Papes in every way, the 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape is still youthful and in its early adolescent phase, offering a beautiful mix of still pure, clean fruit and more peppery, spicy, leather, and complex Southern Rhône-like street market goodness. Rich and powerful on the palate, it's flawlessly balanced, has ripe, polished tannins, and a monster of a finish. It's just a beautiful, quintessential example of this First Growth-like estate in the South of France.

The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a serious wine. I vividly remember tasting this red for the first time at the winery shortly after release. Like it did back then, it leaves quite an impression today. The 2010 unwinds in the glass with gorgeous cherry liqueur, raspberry jam, dried lavender, tobacco, cured meat, leather and exotic spice aromas. It is powerful and deep, framed by ripe tannins and a complex finish. Kudos to Paul-Vincent Avril and his team for crafting this ravishing beauty. NG