2010 Domaine Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf Du Pape Rhone, France

This organically farmed, fifteen-year-old beauty from The Southern Rhone is nothing short of a symphony of flavors and cepages the likes of Grenache Noir, Mourvedre, Syrah, Cinsault and Counoise.

Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines.

This third-generation family Domaine, of Italian origin, is run today by Raymond’s son, Stéphane Usseglio. The estate counts twenty-four hectares of planted vineyards averaging fifty years of age, all of which have been managed biodynamically since 2011. The vineyards are divided equally between the galet-strewn parcels around the town of Orange, the sandy soils of Courthézon and the alluvial, clay soils of the Crau plateau in the village of Bédarrides. Stéphane continues to innovate, using small, new oak barrels alongside the traditional foudres, as well as experimenting with concrete and terracotta amphorae of varying shapes and sizes.

Spice, tobacco and leathery notes abound in this most exquisite, ready to enjoy offering from this most respected clan of vignerons…