Domaine de la Solitude Cornelia Constanza, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France

幽居酒莊科內利亞康斯坦薩紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：5946

My top pick among this estate's 2019s is the all-Grenache 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Cornelia Constanza, a cuvée drawn from 100-year-old vines planted in a sandy sector of La Crau and matured in roughly equal parts tank, foudre and previously used barriques. It bursts from the glass in bold floral notes, entwined with herbal, tea-like nuances, ripe berries and licorice. Full-bodied, richly concentrated and silky in texture, it finishes with terrific length and intensity. It shows no sign of its considerable alcohol, which likely exceeds the labeled 15%. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

From century-old Grenache in a section of la Crau with safre-based soils, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cornelia Constanza was matured in concrete (60%) and foudre (40%). Explosive notes of black cherries and licorice mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is ripe and welcoming without going over the top. You'll want to watch the serving temperature carefully so it doesn't get too warm, but the tannins are supple and silky. Dense and concentrated, this is serious stuff, with awesome length on the slightly chocolaty, spice-inflected finish. I wouldn't bet on it aging more than a decade, but as an early-drinking mouthful of decadence, it's tough to beat.

Partially aged in foudre and older oak, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Cornelia Constanza hints at smoke and vanilla while remaining focused on red plums and stone fruit. Full-bodied and plush, with a long, mouthwatering, mocha-tinged finish, this sexy beast is all old-vine Grenache from sandy soils in La Crau.

I finally got to retaste the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvée Cornelia Constanza, which I'm happy to say is looking better than when I first reviewed it. I still don't think it is the equal of the impressive 2016, but it is certainly worthy of an excellent rating. Round, supple cherry fruit fills the mouth, accented by vanilla and wood spice, while hints of licorice and garrigue emerge on the finish.

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cornelia Constanza is 100% Grenache from 80+-year-old vines in the La Crau sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. A very Rayas-like wine, with loads of kirsch liqueur, balsam wood, licorice and lavender, this deep ruby wine exhibits copious quantities of black raspberry and kirsch liqueur notes and delivers a sexy, opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, some hefty glycerin (I'm sure the alcohol must be 15% plus) and a long, heady finish. This is stunning Chateauneuf du Pape that comes in every bit as strong as the 2009 from Domaine de la Solitude and slightly less intense and flamboyant than their magnificent 2007. Drink it over the next 15+ years. One of the most significant estates in Chateauneuf du Pape and one of the earliest to estate-bottle, the Lancon family has been producing these wines for many, many decades. They have 75 acres, with most of it situated in the widely renowned rocky plateau in the eastern part of the sector know as La Crau, the hottest, earliest-maturing sector of the appellation. The Lancons don't believe in showing barrel or tank samples, so everything I tasted was already in bottle, and no 2011 reds were tasted. The 2010 vintage is another strong one for them, keeping their track record of hitting home runs for much of the last decade intact. Importer: Langdon Shiverick, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (213) 483-5900