M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac 2003

Description

M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac 2003

A pure and intense wine of 100% old-vine Grenache, this unique hilltop vineyard west of the village of Chteauneuf-du-Pape makes some of the silkiest and most elegant wines in the region. Its biodynamic viticulture ensures the low yields (15-20 HL/HA) necessary to create an intense Grenache-only wine, and its late picking contributes to the development of exotic aromas in a very full-bodied and long-flavored wine.

Critical Acclaim

96 Wine Spectator

Just loaded with racy red and black currant fruit, this also pumps out cocoa, bacon, smoked apple wood and tar flavors as well, but stays remarkably fresh and vibrant through the finish. Surprisingly accessible now, but ironclad tannins will let this cruise for a generation. Drink now through 2030.

94 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

More chewy, rustic and concentrated than the Croix de Bois, the 2003 M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac offers up meaty aromas of dried licorice, dusty earth, beef blood and cured meats. Taking the better part of the evening to open up, it gains in both sweetness and polish with air. On the palate, it is full-bodied, broad-shouldered and decidedly rich, with a core of concentrated fruit and still notable tannin adding grip through the finish. One of the younger 2003s at this stage, I still think its drinking at point and would aim for consuming bottles over the coming 5-7 years.