Notes:

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Tradition, which is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the rest Mourvedre and Cinsault, has a lower percentage of Grenache because at least a third of their Grenache production was wiped out due to the poor flowering in this vintage, a common characteristic of all Grenache vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape. That also helps explain the extra level of concentration in the wines. Yields of the 2010 Tradition were only 23 hectoliters per hectare, which is almost financial suicide, but thats Mother Nature. This is a dense wine exhibiting loads of black raspberry, blueberry, and blacker fruits than the 2009, with admirable purity, good acidity, and sweet tannin in a full-bodied, endearing style. This wine should drink well for 10-15 years. Parker 90-93



One of the top estates in Chateauneuf du Pape is that of the two brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio. Their cellars are just north of the village, adjacent to the walls of the ruins of the popes palace. They have nearly 60 acres under vine, and make three cuvees of red wines in the top vintages. Their classic or traditional cuvee is made from a blend of mostly Grenache, with some Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre. Their mostly unoaked, tank-fermented and -aged Mon Aieul comes from very old vines (about 85 years of age) and tiny yields, while their cuvee Des Deux Freres leans in a slightly more modern direction for Chateauneuf du Pape, with 50% of it now aged in small barrels, 20% in tank, and 30% in 600-liter demi-muids.