Domaine La Roquète - Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2010

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Laurel and olive; a full-bodied, spicy wine on the palate, with velvety tannins and a style that isn't particularly refined but is broad-shouldered.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the estate:

“These 29 hectares, classified as AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape, were added to the Brunier vineyards in 1986. These terroirs are very different from those previously cultivated by the estate. Daniel and Frédéric Prunier have therefore done everything possible to highlight the wine’s identity, based on the freshness, finesse, and elegance of its terroirs. This began with the restoration of the vineyard, including the planting of the 3 hectares of Clos La Roquète with white grape varieties, as well as the complete replanting of missing vines.”

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from the famous Les Pialons vineyard, located just a stone's throw from Vieux Télégraphe in La Crau. Deep and rich, with a dark ruby/purple hue, this 2010 is a top-tier wine that was aged for 18 months in concrete tanks. It offers abundant notes of raspberry, kirsch, and lavender, along with characteristic hints of spice. Enjoy it over the next 15 years or more.

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

“Under the name Vignobles Brunier, we have brought together the estates of Vieux Télégraphe, La Roquète (renamed Accent de la Roquète starting with the 2011 vintage), and Les Pallières in Gigondas, all of which are owned by the Brunier brothers. Three benchmark estates. The splendid pebbles of La Crau, a warm terroir, are the source of the distinctive character of Vieux Télégraphe’s wines. The estate produces a significant and unique cuvée there, of great consistency. Grapes that are lightly or not at all destemmed, aged in old casks, yield rich wines that require long aging to mellow their intensity. From then on, they regain all the minerality of this superb terroir. Located in the center of the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the vineyard is mainly planted on the Pielong plateau and in the sandier Pignan district. La Roquète becomes L’Accent de la Roquète, produced from the finest grapes. The wines are always straightforward and pure, more elegant than imposing. The rest is downgraded to the Le Télégramme cuvée, a newcomer to the French market. And finally, the Les Pallières estate, a magnificent Gigondas vineyard situated on terraces beneath the Dentelles de Montmirail. The wine expresses itself in a deep, structured style without heaviness.”

Wine Spectator