Jeb Dunnuck’s visit to the domaine in August (he succeeds to Robert Parker in the Rhône Valley), was a perfect occasion for a tasting to review the two past vintages. Confident regarding the quality of the 2011 vintage already bottled, Jeb Dunnuck particularly liked the 2012 wines still in vats, calling them «excellent». 

Amongst the wines tasted, we would like to point out the cuvée Habamus Papam 2012 (Châteauneuf du Pape). It’s our third vintage on the terroir called «Saintes Vièrges», but blended for the first time with grapes coming from the vineyards in La Crau and La Font du Pape we purchased earlier that year. Thus 2012 is the firs sizable vintage of this wine, which might enable us to satisfy increasing demands for this cuvée.

Dominated by the vivid fruitiness of the Grenache, the blend of 3 large vats surprised on the nose by its powerful and fresh bouquet. Syrah came up slowly, adding delicate smells of prunes and a large quantity of spices to the bouquet: Pepper, star anise, a hint of clove, as well as some dark olives. Subtle and elegant woody characters temporarily showed up and perfectly intermingled with the bouquet. A beautiful, harmonious nose, showing remarkable complexity. On the palate, the wine is dominated by succulent and juicy red fruits, underlined by mineral acidity and well structured tannins.