Domaine Usseglio 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvee Imperial" 750ml

Critical Acclaim:

"A gorgeous wine in the vintage, the 2011 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Imperiale Vignes Centenaire comes from 100+-year-old vines and is a field blend of almost all Grenache. Aged completely in concrete tank, it offers a sweet bouquet of black cherry liqueur, blackberry, roasted herbs, melted licorice and smoked earth to go with a voluptuous, up-front and fruit-loaded profile on the palate. While a fair step back from the incredible 2010, it’s a gorgeous, full-bodied and beautifully balanced effort that will drink well through 2026. Drink 2014-2026."
Score: 93 points -- Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate, Oct 2013

A traditional blend, made up of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah and a little of each of Counoise and Cinsault, this is a robust, rich and finely textured wine. The youthful nose is dominated by notes of licorice, thyme and black cherry; the tannins are suitably robust, their power providing impressive architectural support.

To have two famous Usseglios in a small village just north of Avignon, both making sublime red and white wines, may seem a rather strange. They share of course, the same Italian scion, and now thanks to the great advances made here by Stéphane, son of Raimond, also share a similar reputation. Indeed if the scoring system of he who shall remain nameless is to be believed, this branch of the family now appears to be marginally in the ascendant.