Clos Saouma Chateauneuf du Pape Arioso Rouge 2011

Clos Saouma Chateauneuf du Pape Arioso Rouge 2011Looking like a step up over the 12, the 2011 Chteauneuf du Pape Arioso is 100% Grenache, all from the Pignan lieu dit and vines planted in 1942, which will spend about 60 months in demi muid prior to bottling. Despite this crazy long elevage, it stays fresh and lively, with a rich, rounded and creamy texture that carries loads of black cherry, black raspberry, spiced meat and crushed flower like aromas and flavors.

stunningly rich flavors that dance across the palate and the length here is flat out phenomenal

earth and violet-scented nose

dazzlingly complex and superbly long finish

weight and power to the imposingly scaled flavors that display almost painful intensity on the driving

grace and staying power

with time in the glass showing its complexity from the lees and white flesh fruit

The intense and tautly muscular middle weight plus flavors are even more refined if perhaps not quite as mineral-driven while delivering superb length on the balanced but markedly austere finish where a touch of cherry pit emerges

but it is worth noting that it was blasted off the table by its siblings in this issue's mini-vertical

and it is even better out of bottle than it was in barrel

a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon

like its two siblings

This is jaw droppingly good and somewhat curiously relative to how the two wines typically show at this stage