2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition, which is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre and Cinsault, has a lower percentage of Grenache because at least a third of their Grenache production was wiped out due to the poor flowering in this vintage, a common characteristic of all Grenache vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape. That also helps explain the extra level of concentration in the wines. Yields of the 2010 Tradition were only 23 hectoliters per hectare, which is almost financial suicide, but that’s Mother Nature. This is a dense wine exhibiting loads of black raspberry, blueberry, and blacker fruits than the 2009, with admirable purity, good acidity, and sweet tannin in a full-bodied, endearing style. This wine should drink well for 10-15 years. (robert_parker - Wine Advocate #197 Oct 2011)