Wine Advisor
Clos St Jean, Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Shockingly, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Combe des Fous is almost as good. From a vintage that flies under the radar, it boasts a classic Clos Saint Jean profile of kirsch liqueur, ripe black raspberries, ground herbs and sweet garrigue to go with full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. Always slightly more elegant and silky than the more powerful Deus ex Machina, this thrill ride of a Chateauneuf will continue to drink well for another decade. 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
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
In 2006, only a handful of other producers in Chateauneuf du Pape hit the heights achieved by Clos St.-Jean with the following wine. Virtually perfect, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous possesses a dense ruby/purple color in addition to an extraordinary nose of ground pepper, spice box, black currants, and kirsch, and full-bodied, powerful, spicy flavors. Resembling haute couture with its seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol, this is a prodigious wine to smell, taste, and consume. Readers should hasten to buy this wine ASAP! Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025. What a remarkable group of wines is emerging from proprietor Vincent Maurel, who works with the genius of Southern Rhone viticulture and winemaking, Philippe Cambie. A succession of superb wines began at this estate in 2003, when it finally began to live up to its superb potential (Clos Saint-Jean is one of the largest holders of top vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape, with 120 acres, including some of the finest sites for old vine Grenache and Mourvedre). This may well be one of the most exciting addresses not only in France, but in the entire wine world. As the following notes testify, the 2006s are even more profound from bottle than they were from foudre and demi-muids. Moreover, 2007 may be the finest vintage at Clos Saint-Jean since 2003. Readers should keep in mind that Maurel and Cambie have aged the old vine Grenache in old foudres and some 600-liter demi-muids, but the Syrah and Mourvedre components are kept in small barrels. In short, these wines are not to be missed! To reiterate, as mind-blowing as the 2007s are, I believe that along with Clos des Papes and a handful of other domaines, Clos St.-Jean’s 2006s are the wines of the vintage. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Next up—and one of the wines of the vintage—the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous checks in as a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% each of Cinsault and Vaccarèse. It was completely destemmed and the Grenache was raised all in concrete, with the balance raised in larger barrels. This sensational wine offers flat out awesome notes of smoked meats, graphite, spice box and licorice, as well as full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannin and a silky, seamless, sexy profile that keeps you coming back to the glass. While the Deux Ex Machina is a bigger, richer wine, this has more elegance and polish. Drink this beauty anytime over the coming decade.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous (a blend of 60% Grenache from vines planted in 1905 all aged in neutral wood foudres, 20% Syrah aged in small oak casks, and the balance equal proportions Cinsault and Vaccarese aged in large foudres) has been one of the great Chateauneuf du Papes since it was introduced in 2003. The 2006 reminds me of an extraordinary vintage of Comte de Vogue’s Musigny. With unbelievable minerality, a provocative perfume of spring flowers, and a dense ruby/purple color, this sweet, broad-flavored, massive wine exhibits sexy tannin and beautiful opulence. Blueberry, blackberry and kirsch intermix with floral elements and crushed rocks. Quite full-bodied, opulent, with light to moderate tannins, this wine will be drinkable early on (2-3 years), and keep for two decades. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800
About the Producer
Clos Saint Jean is a family estate founded in 1900 by Edmund Tacussel. In 1910 he started to bottle wines with the name Clos Saint Jean. Since 1991 when the owner Guy Maurel died his two sons Pascal and Vincent have carried on at the property. The oenologist Philippe Gambie has since 2003 been assisting at the estate and something has happened: two-three famous special cuvées have merged and all the production became bottled at the domain.
