Domaine Tour Saint Michel
Cuvée du Lion Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend
Southern Rhône, Rhône, France
My notes on this from May of 2017 still apply. Popped and poured. Drank well over two days. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours and longer. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.
As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon.
My notes on this from May of 2017 still apply. Popped and poured. Drank well over two days. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours and longer. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.
As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon.
Popped and poured. Consumed over 3 hours. This is my second bottle of this particular wine in the last 6 months and both times I found the quality to be remarkable but this was my first opportunity to take some notes. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.
As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon.
Popped and poured. Consumed over 3 hours. This is my second bottle of this particular wine in the last 6 months and both times I found the quality to be remarkable but this was my first opportunity to take some notes. Immediately this wine impresses visually. Sure, the color is an expected deep garnet but what's most striking is the fact that it's never completely opaque at the core. You can just barely get the faintest amount of light to see through it. It's quite beautiful, really. The nose is initially a bit reticent but a few minutes of air in the glass does the trick and then it really begins to show off the most lovely perfume of mixed red and dark fruit; so fresh and pure with just a flash of garrigue. No perceptible heat on the nose. On the palate it's a veritable wonder of berries, Rainier cherries, black berry liqueur, and just a touch of fine white pepper. The body is perfectly proportioned and the finish lasts for over 30 seconds. In summary, this is an incredibly balanced 2010 CdP that is already hitting its prime. Personally, I felt it was really at its very best about two hours in which leaves me to believe it should be a great pop and pour for the next couple of years and potentially has the balance to be great for longer. That being said, there is no need to decant, just pull the cork, pour and enjoy the evolution in the glass. The hard part is allowing it to last for two hours. It should be noted that this is dangerously quaffable wine and it wouldn't be hard to take the whole thing to the head. Might as well drink these sooner than later as I'm always a bit wary of CdP much beyond the 10 year mark, where I tend so find many of them fall apart on the palate. Perhaps others with more experience in the long-term ageing of CdP can chime in though. Absurd value at $30.
As a side note, this paired very nicely with pan fried pork savory bacon wrapped filet mignon.
Black fruit, pipe tobacco, garrigue and black olive.
Black fruit, pipe tobacco, garrigue and black olive.
Jul 3rd, 2024
Previous comments of 1/8/22 pretty spot on. Comes off as somewhat confectionery, jammy…but with air it livens up. Absurd qpr at $30 @wtso.
Toughen up a little bit more and I’m there.
Previous comments of 1/8/22 pretty spot on. Comes off as somewhat confectionery, jammy…but with air it livens up. Absurd qpr at $30 @wtso.
Toughen up a little bit more and I’m there.
Absurd value from @wtso
Pnp let sat for an hour or so, initially very jammy but that blew off.
N: Dark red fruits verging on black, Amarena cherries, tobacco, earth, iron.
P: That sense of iron repeats, virtually no tannins, Sense of place, yes.
As another reviewer said, you could drink this down easy.
We’re still looking for complexity though.
Absurd value from @wtso
Pnp let sat for an hour or so, initially very jammy but that blew off.
N: Dark red fruits verging on black, Amarena cherries, tobacco, earth, iron.
P: That sense of iron repeats, virtually no tannins, Sense of place, yes.
As another reviewer said, you could drink this down easy.
We’re still looking for complexity though.
Right after uncorking this was a splendid #chateauneufdupape - classic Southern Rhône red fruit aromas with traces of garrigue notes, tastes of a bright beam of raspberry purée, plum compote, soft spices. Unfortunately this 2015 wine may have peaked a couple of years ago because the next day (despite wine fridge storage) oxidized raisin & prune notes dominated the nose though the palate was still respectable.
Right after uncorking this was a splendid #chateauneufdupape - classic Southern Rhône red fruit aromas with traces of garrigue notes, tastes of a bright beam of raspberry purée, plum compote, soft spices. Unfortunately this 2015 wine may have peaked a couple of years ago because the next day (despite wine fridge storage) oxidized raisin & prune notes dominated the nose though the palate was still respectable.
Jan 2nd, 2022Dried fig, licorice, tobacco and fruitcake.
Dried fig, licorice, tobacco and fruitcake.
May 23rd, 2020
2012 barrel sample - getting ready for the upcoming 2013 releases
2012 barrel sample - getting ready for the upcoming 2013 releases
Mar 23rd, 2015
The wine is a deep garnet color, thin at the rim but never watery. Dark colors belie the milder flavors. Herbal, green herbs, ripe for roasting and casseroles. Undernotes of fruit, firm and warm but not too ripe. Succulent shish kebab fruit and roasted meat flavors. Took a good 45 min of decanting and then extra time in the glass, but well worth it. Had the 1.5 liter bottle.
The wine is a deep garnet color, thin at the rim but never watery. Dark colors belie the milder flavors. Herbal, green herbs, ripe for roasting and casseroles. Undernotes of fruit, firm and warm but not too ripe. Succulent shish kebab fruit and roasted meat flavors. Took a good 45 min of decanting and then extra time in the glass, but well worth it. Had the 1.5 liter bottle.
Dec 25th, 2018