2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Grand Pin

These highly polished, extroverted (yes, that sounds like a bit of a contradiction) wines, the result of a partnership between winemaker Baptiste Grangeon, of Domaine Cristia, and American importer Peter Weygandt, are strikingly crystalline and mineral-driven, with the assertive red fruit and floral character that can be obtained from Grenache grown in the sandy La Guigasse and Pignan soils. Unlike the Cristia wines, which are made entirely from destemmed fruit and see varying amounts of new oak, the Chapelle St. Théodoric Châteauneufs are made with whole clusters and no new oak, which no doubt contributes to their exotically perfumed bouquets, spiciness and purity. The first vintage here was 2009 so the jury's still out on how the wines will age, but based on their material and balance I have no reason to doubt that they'll reward patience and gain complexity over at least the mid-term, say a minimum of a decade of cellaring.