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This sensational 2012 Vacqueyras can be found discounted for $25 a bottle. A blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre, it offers up meaty, black raspberry and blackcurrant fruit intermixed with roasted Provençal herbs, anise and a gamey smokiness. Medium to full-bodied, rich, chewy and intense, but supple and opulent, it is a well-crafted, full-throttle Vacqueyras to drink over the next 4-5 years. It is also a sleeper of the vintage. - Robert Parker"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (November 2014), 92 pts
The 2013 Vacqueyras is borderline outstanding and has pretty peppery notes of menthol, Christmas spice, plum and black raspberries in a medium to full-bodied, rounded and forward style on the palate. Made from 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and a splash Mourvedre, it’s one of the more fruit forward efforts in the vintage and has lots to like."
"(raised for a year in 80% concrete tanks and used barriques): Full ruby. Lively aromas of ripe red and blue fruit, licorice and lavender are complemented by a suggestion of white pepper. Supple and broad on entry, then tighter in the midpalate, offering juicy black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a subtle touch of spicecake. Shows very good depth as well as vivacity, finishing with slow-building tannins and minerally persistence. - Josh Raynolds"
"(20 percent whole clusters; raised in a combination of concrete tanks and small oak barrels) Deep ruby. Intense cherry and red berry aromas pick up hints of woodsmoke, anise and cracked pepper with air. Spicy and focused on the palate, offering fresh raspberry and floral pastille flavors underscored by a vein juicy acidity. Closes smoky and taut; dusty tannins build slowly and frame the juicy fruit. - Josh Raynolds"
"Crisp black cherry and raspberry tones are accented by whiffs of nuts and smoke in this unctuous, concentrated wine. While approachable and forward in fruit, it has an invigorating mineral backbone and firm, grippy tannins that lend structure and gravitas. - Anna Lee C. Iijima"
"What looks to be a smokin’ good wine, the 2015 Vacqueyras dishes up tons of smoked herbs, licorice, spice and ripe dark fruits in a rounded, impressively textured style. Made from 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and a splash of Mourvèdre, mostly destemmed and aged in concrete (there’s a small part in foudre), it should provide tons of pleasure over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck"
"Violets, lavender and raspberry notes lead the way in the 2016 Vacqueyras. It's not as dense or richly contracted as some, but it's a medium to full-bodied wine that's very drinkable, an easygoing wine with more than a little complexity. Drink it over the next several years. - Joe Czerwinski"