2003 Chateau de la Gardine Cuvee Generation Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge

The winemaking tradition of the Brunel familydates back to the 17th century. Gaston Brunel, a famous négociant, acquired the Château de la Gardine in Châteauneuf du Pape in 1945. The estate is now run by his two sons, Patrick and Maxime with the help of their wives Eve and Maryse and their children Marie-Odile and Philippe. The estate spreads over 52 ha of vineyards (48 ha of red and 4 ha of white) and 20 ha of forests, all gathered around the property. The domaine is famous for the quality of their wines and for the unique Gardine bottle. Today around 70% of the production is exported in about 30 countries.

The Gardine bottle, both original and elegant, is the result of a happy coincidence...
When he first wanted to expand his cellar, while digging in the ground, Gaston Brunel found a mouth-blown bottle. He loved it and decided to use a similar shape for all his wine. At the beginning, he had to go all the way to Italy to find a glass supplier that was able to make it. Since1964 all the wines have been bottled in the unique La Gardine shaped-bottle.

Red wine.

Gardine’s 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations boasts a blue/purple hue to the rim along with potent, heady notes of lead pencil shavings, espresso, white chocolate, black currants, and cherries. This heady, full-bodied, powerful wine always points in the direction of an internationally styled Chateauneuf du Pape, but with aeration and close inspection, a glorious combination of red and black fruits, Provencal spices and herbs, and loads of typicity is revealed. However, patience is a virtue. As with most top vintages, this is one of the most backward examples produced. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020+. ~92-94 Robert Parker

A blend of equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, the 2003 Cuvee des Generations has a decidedly modern feel with plenty of sweet oak, smoky black fruits, licorice, chocolate and graphite showing on the nose. Serious and dense on the palate, with a still youthful, fresh feel, it has outstanding depth through the mid-palate, loads of fruit and a great finish. Beautifully done in the style, it won’t appeal to staunch traditionalist, yet it is a joy to drink and held up impressively over the two days I had the bottle open. It will easily have another decade or more of longevity. ~91 Jeb Dunnuck Drink 2013-2023

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