Domaine de Marcoux

2/18/2010 -

With all the hype about the 2007 vintage in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, we forget that many estates made great, and more balanced wines in 2006. Principally among these was the Armenier sister's Domaine de Marcoux. We have been fortunate enough to obtain a good supply of the Marcoux CDP Rouge 2006 (and a little bit of their unique Blanc from 2007) at close-out prices from their importer, we're not sure why. This great estate has been in Biodynamie since 1991, the first in the appellation, and their style has never been forced or extracted, but has expressed their unique terroir and the lovely fruit of mature Grenache from old vines. The fermentations here are long and slow, at low temperatures, and withour pigeage, to give the wild yeasts time to work. Aging is in cement cuves and older barriques. These are among the finest traditional Chateuneuf-du-Papes and we urge you to try them at these low, discountable prices. Their style was nicely summed up by Philippe Barret in "le Rouge et le Blanc", the fine French wine quarterly. "They make wines in their image, naturally, with seeming simplicity hiding real profundity, combining the best of tradition and modernism."