Clos St Jean, Chateauneuf Du Pape Deus Ex Machina 2011

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus ex Machina is a stunner in the vintage. Like the Combe des Fous, it has incredible elegance, as well as the forward, sexy nature of the vintage. Kirsch liqueur, currants, toast, sandalwood, and graphite are just some of the nuances here. The wine hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel and beautifully polished tannin on the finish. Give it another year or two and drink it through 2026. 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

robert_parker98

Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.

Made from a classic blend of 60% tank-aged Grenache and 40% Mourvedre aged in 600-liter demi-muids, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus-Ex Machina may be the single greatest wine I tasted in 2011. Its dense purple color is followed by extraordinary aromas of blackberries, incense, camphor, charcoal and acacia flowers intermixed with notions of blueberries, mulberries, white chocolate and coffee beans. Atypically full and rich for a 2011, this amazing effort comes from Clos Saint-Jean’s holdings (nearly 62 acres) in the famous La Crau sector of Chateauneuf du Pape. It should age effortlessly for 12-15 years. To reiterate, there will be no 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum (meaning the Holiest of the Holy). (Not yet released) Since 2003, when Pascal and Vincent Maurel took over this estate after their father’s passing, Clos Saint-Jean has gone from strength to strength. They have always owned great vineyards, and they had the foresight to hire a brilliant consulting oenologist, Philippe Cambie. The result has been instant stardom, and a succession of world-class wines. Recently they also partnered with the California Central Coast’s renowned Manfred Krankl of Sine Qua Non to produce another luxury cuvee of Chateauneuf du Pape from mostly Mourvedre called Chimere. A large estate for Chateauneuf du Pape (over 110 acres), Clos Saint-Jean’s history dates back to 1900, with the first Maurel taking control in 1930. The majority of their holdings are in the southeastern sector of the appellation, including significant parcels in La Crau, Les Combes and St.-Jean. In top vintages, Clos Saint-Jean produces five cuvees of red Chateauneuf du Pape, and the 2011s are successful across the board. There will not be a Sanctus Sanctorum in this vintage. Importers: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565 and Paul M. Young, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (323) 222-2003

robert_parker99

Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck

More backward and reserved, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Deux-Ex Machina is a blend of 60% tank-aged Grenache and 40% Mourvedre that was aged in 600-liter demi-muids. Spectacular, not only in this vintage, but in any vintage, it offers up incredible notes of blackberry, fig, tree bark, mineral, spice-cake and pepper that flow to a full-bodied, seamless and perfectly proportioned palate. It possesses upward of two decades of longevity, and the only wine in the vintage to come anywhere close to this level of quality, also from the same producer, is the Combe des Fous. Hats off to the Clos Saint-Jean team for this amazing achievement. Drink 2015-2031. Always one of the highlight visits during my time spent working in the Southern Rhone, Clos Saint-Jean, which includes over 100 acres of prime terroir in Chateauneuf du Pape (mostly in the south), is run by brothers Pascal and Vincent Maurel, with consulting help from the incredibly talented Philippe Cambie. Releasing 5 Chateauneufs in top vintages, they also pair up with Manfred Krankl, of Sine Qua Non in California’s Santa Barbara County, and release another high-end cuvee call Chimere. While the winemaking here is often labeled as modern, it is actually relatively traditional, with the Grenache almost always aged in tank and only the Mourvedre and Syrah seeing time in larger, 500-600 liter oak barrels, or demi-muids. In addition, the cuvees may also include small amounts of whole-cluster fermentation. Regardless of how you classify it, the results speak for themselves and there are few wines in the world I’d rather drink. Importers: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565 and Paul M. Young, Los Angeles, CA; tel. (323) 222-2003

robert_parker95

Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski

The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina continues to drink amazingly well, with hints of mushroom and truffle giving way to reveal red-raspberry fruit, orange zest and Campari-like spice notes. Full-bodied and concentrated, slightly open-knit in feel, with a long, silky finish, it should continue to drink well for several more years. The Maurel family seems to excel in so-called difficult vintages, testament to their work in the vineyards, and this 2011 is no exception.