Glass-staining ruby. A kaleidoscopic bouquet displays scents of candied red berries, incense and Asian spices, accented by an overlay of smoky minerals. Sharply focused and pure, offering sweet raspberry and cherry compote flavors and a sexy floral pastille nuance. Finishes sweet, sappy and very long, echoing the floral note. Looks to be a star of the vintage, but I'm sure it won't come cheap.

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Possessing even higher natural alcohol (16.9%), the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is totally dry with abundant freshness and finesse. Both vintages offers a smorgasbord of heavenly scents (kirsch liqueur, charcuterie, smoked duck, Chinese black tea, hoisin sauce, raspberries and loamy underbrush), huge amounts of glycerin, and a full-bodied mouthfeel. The Grenache component gives these wines a certain lightness of being despite their massive power, richness, unctuosity and alcoholic clout. Both the 2010 and 2009 are 30+ year wines and those lucky enough to taste them will agree the Sanctus Sanctorum is one of the most compelling wines made in the world. The 2009 seems slightly more evolved than the 2010, but both are monumental efforts that no doubt will be the wines of the vintage.

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Lush, with very enticing notes of toasty raisin, spice cake, fig sauce and blackberry preserves inlaid with flashes of ganache and espresso. The dense but racy finish features a graphite edge that really extends.

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