Domaine du Clos Saint Jean   Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous

2010 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous

By Domaine du Clos Saint Jean

2010 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous from Domaine du Clos Saint Jean

The 2010 vintage of Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous from Domaine du Clos Saint Jean delivers profound experiences of the Rhone Valley's tradition. Balanced between audacious complexity and polished luster, this wine presents an eloquent symphony of its terroir.

 

A Masterstroke in the Rhone Painter's Palette

This esteemed cuvee forms a compelling case for the encyclopedic spectrum of Rhone varietals, accentuated by the idiosyncrasies of the 2010 vintage. Allowing Grenache to take center stage, ably supported by Syrah, Vaccarese, and Cinsault, it constructs an investment-worthy tapestry of intriguing tales from the vineyard.

The distinct texture and flavour profile of this vintage are inspired meticulously by its unique climatic conditions. In a year remembered for its optimally paced ripening season and cooler nights, the grapes matured into supple lushness.

 

An Ode to Rhone’s Complexity

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous scores with an ensemble of stone fruit compote, intense blackberry essence, smoked dark chocolate, herbes de Provence, and warm baking spices. Sophisticated tannins serve as the supporting cast to this riveting juxtaposition of voluptuous fruit and unerring spice tones.

Each sip unravels like a sonnet—climaxing with a haunting resonance that echoes longevity and timeless appeal. This gem from Domaine du Clos Saint Jean aptly showcases how masterful winemaking can produce wines remarkable for their depth and dexterity.

As a testament to the poise of Rhone's reds, the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape la Combe des Fous from Domaine du Clos Saint Jean is, undoubtedly, an alluring addition to any wine investor’s portfolio. Offering a unique blend of rare complexity and assured age-worthiness, it is a stand-out expression of the year it represents so eloquently.

Current market price

£1,390.00

12x75cl

Highest score

99

POP score

73.16

Scores and tasting notes

99

Also up with the top wines of the vintage, the 2010 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Combe des Fous shows the darker fruit and minerality of the vintage with its creme de cassis, blackberry, ground pepper, licorice and ample crushed rock-like minerality. Gaining more than one expletive in the notes, this full-bodied 2010 has thrilling purity of fruit, massive underlying structure and a rich, layered and decadent feel on the finish. As with most 2010s, it needs another 3 to 4 years of bottle age and will easily have two decades of overall longevity. Since taking control of the estate in 2002, and bringing on board rock star consultant Philippe Cambie, the Maurel brothers has been knocking it out of the park in literally every vintage. 2004? Gorgeous wines and easily at the top in a recent retrospective. The cooler, rainy 2008? Beautiful ripeness and texture, and again, at the top of the hierarchy. 2011 is the same story, and it’s amazing what this team has accomplished in all of their vintages. Looking at this retrospective, we went through all of their cuvees going back to 2003. Unfortunately, there’s no new information here, and this tasting simply confirmed what myself and Robert Parker have been saying for some time now; Clos Saint Jean is at the top of their game and producing some of the most singular, hedonistic and brilliant wines in the world. Starting out with the classic Chateauneuf du Pape, it’s normally a blend of 75% Grenache, with the balance a mix of Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Muscardin and Vaccarese. As is common at this estate, the Grenache is aged all in tank, and the other varieties in a mix of tank and barrels. While I think this cuvee always lags the Vieilles Vignes bottling, it is consistently outstanding and always a super value. Moving to the old vine cuvee, this is made especially for the US Market and is 85% tank aged, old vine Grenache, and the balance Syrah and Mourvedre. It too almost always represents a crazy value and has a broad drink window. I’m currently finishing up a case of the ’08, and purchased two cases of the 2010, which is just starting to open back up after closing down shortly after release. As to the Combe des Fous release, this cuvée comes from a single plot of vines and is based largely on Grenache, with roughly 20% Syrah and 10% each of Vaccarese and Cinsault in the blend. The Grenache is aged all in tank and the other components see time in mostly demi-muids. While the Deux ex Machina always impresses more with its overt power and muscle, this cuvee always seems more polished, fine and elegant to me. One of the greatest cuvees on earth, the Maurel brother’s Sanctus Sanctorum is 100% Grenache that comes from a single plot of vines in the La Crau lieu dit. Aged all in demi-muid, it’s been one of the greatest wines I’ve ever tasted, every time I’ve tasted it. All three of these were sheer perfection on this occasion, yet each has its own unique profile. Lastly, and always the most powerful of the cuvees, the Deus Ex Machina is a blend of 60% tank aged Grenache and 40% demi-muid aged Mourvedre that all comes from 70-100 year old vines. The Mourvedre component is really what defines this cuvee, and it possesses the most obvious structure and mid-palate richness in the lineup. Seeming to hit maturity around age 10 or so, it can be consumed relatively early in its life due to its wealth of fruit, texture, and incredibly polished tannin. In addition, don’t miss this cuvee in the lighter vintages, as even their 2004 and 2008 show classic character and no shortage of richness. Importers: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

Jeb Dunnuck - The Wine Advocate, 27 August 2014

Vintage performance