2006 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Barberini
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Moving to the reds, the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Barberini is a sensational wine make from 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah. This cuvee always shows a modern style in its youth (it’s raised in 35% new French oak), yet this integrates nicely. Today, the 2006 has plenty of typicity in its black currants, roasted herbs, licorice and garrigue-driven personality. Full-bodied, layered and with terrific ripeness, it’s drinking at point, yet will hold for another 4-5 years and have a gradual decline after that.
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Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A touch decadent and with a modern feel, the 2006 Domaine de la Solitude Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Barberini is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah, all from La Crau, that’s aged in a combination of tank and small barrels. It’s very pure and clean, offering beautiful aromatics of raspberry slanted fruit, loads of spice, licorice, and a slight chocolate ganache note. The wood has integrated beautifully and the wine is starting to show southern Rhône flare. Medium+ bodied on the palate, the wine possesses loads of ripe fruit, a round, yet savory texture, and a long, mineral-laced finish. Outstanding and this will show more typicity as it ages. Drink through 2020+.
Bright red. Fresh, focused aromas of raspberry, potpourri, Asian spices and smoky minerals. Deeper blackberry and kirsch on the palate, with slow-mounting tannins adding spine. Very young but rich and highly promising, with excellent finishing energy and a whiplash of zesty spices and minerals. A superb balance of power and vivacity.
Neat, positive, quite ripe nose without being aggressively exhibitionistic. Tight yet sweet. Very much seizing special cuvée status – a more refined style of Châteauneuf. Very concentrated. Should please many palates though perhaps not traditionalists. Considering I tasted and scored all these wines blind in completely random order with scores of their peers, this is a pretty impressive performance by the renovated Dom de la Solitude. Grenache with 20% Syrah. (JR)