More deep, rich and layered, with smoke, dried earth, ground pepper, leather, and ripe blackberry-styled fruit, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is an incredible effort that has me purchasing more bottles every time I taste it. Showing more concentration than both the '11 and '09, with sweet tannin, it closed down slightly right after release, but was drinking beautifully on this occasion. I'd still hold off for another couple of years, and it will have 15-20 years of evolution with ease. - Jeb Dunnuck

The 2010 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a selection of the older vines from the estate with some of the Grenache destined for this cuvee also going into the Deus-Ex Machina. Tasted out of tank the wine sports a perfumed floral and spice driven profile with sweet red fruits kirsch and underbrush characteristics. Full-bodied yet quite compact and elegant with a brilliantly seamless texture this firms up nicely on the finish and shows loads of fine polished tannin (which is a hallmark of this estate.) It should benefit from a handful of years in the cellar but will most likely also be straight up superb on release. 93-95+