Wine Advisor
Marcoux, Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berries, kirsch, vibrant minerals, cured meat and garrigue; smells like a great Mazis-Chambertin. Finely etched red and black fruit flavors completely stain the palate, with gentle smokiness and candied flowers adding nuance. It's rare to encounter this level of elegance from the southern Rhone. The finish is sweet, smoky and strikingly pure, leaving strong mineral notes behind. As usual, one of the best wines of the vintage.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep red. Sexy, pinot-like red fruits and minerals on the nose, with a suave floral overtone. Lush raspberry and cherry preserve flavors are enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by silky tannins, picking up more wild garrigue and tobacco qualities on the finish. For all its flavor impact, this is remarkably light, even delicate, with superb balance and precision.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One of the vintage’s blockbusters is the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, with even higher alcohol (16.2%) than the 2007. It offers lovely notes of black fruits, truffle oil, roasted meats, beef blood, black raspberries, abundant kirsch, and a hint of roasted Provencal herbs. On a much faster evolutionary track than the 2007, it is a layered, multi-dimensional effort displaying a finish that lasts nearly 60 seconds. Some unresolved tannins in the finish suggest this wine should be cellared for 2-3 years, and consumed over the following two decades. I’m always interested in what sisters Sophie and Catherine Armenier are doing at this biodynamically farmed vineyard, one of my favorite estates. Not surprisingly, they have produced extraordinary wines in 2007 as well as 2006s that are nearly as good. As most vignerons do, the Armeniers attribute the greatness of the 2007 vintage to both the drought that lasted from late spring through the end of September as well as the cooler than normal temperatures that were followed by three weeks of ferocious Mistral winds in September. Without any serious heat spikes, the Mistral seemed to concentrate the grapes, with the cooler weather causing very intense aromatics. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
One of the wines of the vintage is the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, and I still remember tasting this beauty at the domaine on release. Almost all Grenache and aged in tank, it has sensational notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, flowers, olive and Provencal garrigue all literally soaring from the glass. This gives way to a full-bodied, utterly seamless, weightless 2006 that has fabulous depth of fruit, fine tannin and a finish that just won’t quit. It’s flat out great today, but will continue knocking your socks off for another decade.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (4,000 bottles produced) is a blend of 50% old vine Grenache and a few other grapes aged in tank, and 50% aged in barrel. It achieved 16.2% natural alcohol. The result is a full-bodied wine with fabulous concentration, a saturated dark ruby/plum color, and an ethereal black raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry-scented bouquet with notions of truffles and flowers in the background. It is exceptionally opulent, full-bodied, and deep with silky tannins and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following two decades. This brilliant estate in the northern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape is admirably run by Sophie and Catherine Armenier. They continue to fine tune the wines produced at this biodynamically farmed vineyard, and their white Chateauneuf du Pape is now one of the three or four finest of the appellation. Sadly, they only make about 4,000 bottles of this blend of 66% Roussanne and 34% Bourboulenc. Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565
About the Producer
Chateau Marco has 17.5 hectares of vineyards that are biodynamically cultivated. The average age of the vines is 50 years, and some of the older vines are even more than 100 years old. These old vines grow on 2.3 hectares of gravel land and are the raw material for the production of Domaine de Marcoux Vieille Vignes. Marco Winery operates according to the traditional method. After the grapes are harvested, the grapes are individually destemmed, sorted and then fermented in stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks. Among them, the malo-lactic fermentation process also takes place in the tank. After that, the wine is aged for 16 to 18 months in stainless steel tanks or large oak barrels. Chateau Marco produces 3 Châteauneuf du Pape reds and 2 white Châteauneufs, as well as some Cotes du Rhone wines. Château de Pape Marco is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Syrah and a few other varieties. The Domaine de Marcoux Ephemere is made from 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah, and is a semi-new wine made by sisters Catherine and Sophie. The origin of this wine was purchased in 2002, and the first vintage was 2003. Made from 100% Grenache, Marco Old Vine Special Wine is one of the top wines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape region. It has an amazing style and is extremely enticing, with a pure and wonderful fruity aroma. This wine is expensive and hard to get in the market.
