Chateau De La Gardine Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Peur Bleue is a limited edition wine that is fresh, open and generous, bursting with liquorice, chocolate and black olive notes. The palate is bursting with blueberry and blackberry fruit and Provençale herbs, with abundant yet ripe tannins. Very impressive and very approachable, this is for drinking now whilst the other Gardine cuvées evolve in your cellar.

Country: France
Region: Rhône Valley
Subregion: Châteauneuf Du Pape
Vintage: 2010
Colour: Red
Grape Variety: Grenache/Garnacha, Mourvèdre/Monastrell, Syrah/Shiraz
ABV: 14.5%
Bottle Size: 75cl
Closure: Natural cork
Style: Made with no added sulphur
Drink With: Wild game birds would be appropriate

Sulphur dioxide (used in tiny quantities by winemakers for its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties) is blue, and the name Peur Bleue or "Fear Blue" is a reference to the great skill and perfect hygiene required to make a wine without it. The fruit was hand harvested and a small percentage was fermented by carbonic maceration, giving a vibrant colour and maximum fruit expression. It was aged entirely in stainless steel to preserve all of the purity of the fruit flavours. In the absence of sulphur dioxide, to protect the wine from oxidation a little residual carbon dioxide was left in it, but either decanting the bottle or a quick swirl of the glass will quickly remove this.

From Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
Château De La Gardine Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Peur Bleue reveals fabulous purity of fruit with lots of blueberry, blackberry, forest floor and spring flower-like aromatics. Rich with silky tannin and a multilayered mouthfeel. 94 Points