Domaine Tour Saint Michel Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge Cuvée du Lion 2011
This aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a brilliant blend of 75% grenache, 20% syrah and a splash of mourvedre and cinsault. It’s “sleek and focused, with dark cassius, plum sauce and graphite notes,” according to Wine Spectator, who gave it 91 points along with Stephen Tanzer.
Profile
Robert Parker, who called this “beautifully put together,” dished out 90 points thanks to “aromas of creamy berry fruit, liquorice and exotic spice as well as medium-bodied, texture and rich palate.” Jancis Robinson got in on the act with a 17/20, hailing the “rather sophisticated winemaking,” so it’s safe to say we’ve got a mighty strong consensus here.
It’s cool, we get it, you want to know absolutely everything about this wine. Well here you go, go nuts.
Specs
- Region
- France
- Vintage
- 2011
- Cellaring
- 2022
- Preservatives
- ―
- Alcohol by Vol.
- 15.0%
- Closure
- Cork
- Bottle Vol
- 750mL
- Blend Info
- 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
- Serving Temp.
- 19.0°C
Region
France
Looks like this is either a wine sourced from various regions in France or it's from a smaller region that we haven't gotten around to writing about for you yet! If it's the former, well, it's hard to make general comments about a multi-regional French wine. So let's assume it's the latter: we've been lazy. Forgive us, there's only two of us, and we're mere mortals. We'll get round to writing something inspirational about this obscure (hopefully, otherwise we're in trouble) region eventually. Meanwhile, shoot in your suggestions (and your resume?), or just rejoice in the fact that there's something magical about heading off the beaten track and telling your friends all about that amazing grape that grows in the hinterlands of a place that doesn't even make it on the map – or Vinomofo's regional writeup section, at least.
The rules are there ain’t no rules, but here are some foods we think will work pretty well with this wine...
Goes with
Tagliatelle with ragu sauce
Ingredients
- Beef ragu sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 200g green beans, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve
Directions
- Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions until tender. Drain.
- Meanwhile, combine ragu sauce and vinegar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer. Add beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in oregano and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add pasta to sauce. Toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with parmesan and parsley.