There are approximately 10,000 bottles of the sensational 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme, which is fashioned from an unusual blend of 25% Grenache, 25% Mourvedre, 25% Syrah and the remaining 25% Counoise, Vaccarese and other authorized varietals. Its opaque purple color is followed by a wine of extraordinary intensity. Copious notes of licorice, garrigue, underbrush, blackberries, black currants and graphite are present in this full-bodied, modern-styled, fragrant, distinctive Chateauneuf. This terrific, voluptuous 2009 should drink well young and last for 15-20 years. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

94+ A wine I wasn’t able to review on release, the brilliant 2009 Xavier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme is an eclectic blend of 25% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre, and the rest an assortment of varieties. Deep, dense, and layered, it offers up a truly spectacular bouquet of sweet kirsch, blackberries, lead pencil, garrigue, licorice, and flowers that continues to develop and evolve over the evening. Showing the perfume and slight red fruit-driven slant of the vintage, it shines on the palate as well and has a full-bodied, seamless, and polished feel, with surprising sweetness to its tannin, thrilling concentration, and blockbuster length on the finish. More than a little impressive, this beauty should be given another 3-4 years of bottle age, and consumed over the following decade or more. It has a solid mix of traditional aromatics and flavors to go with plenty of polish, texture, and fruit.