2012 Clos Saint Jean, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Deus ex Machina 1×1.5L

Vinous 94

Brilliant ruby. Complex, highly perfumed nose evokes fresh blackberry, cherry, spicecake and violet. Juicy, seamless and sweet on the palate, offering nuanced flavors of dark fruit liqueur, succulent herbs and candied flowers. Densely packed but also lithe and precise, with slow-building tannins giving shape to the wine’s exuberant fruit on the long, sappy finish. [Josh Raynolds, 01/04/2015]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2026

Robert Parker 98

The 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina is a blend of 60% Grenache aged in foudre (from close to 100-year-old vines) and 40% Mourvedre aged in demi-muids. Its deep ruby/purple color is followed by incredible notes of cassis, roasted meats, licorice, toasted spice and a liquid rock-like minerality. Full-bodied, massive and concentrated, yet also seamless, elegant and incredibly polished, it flows onto the palate with building tannin, no hard edges and perfect balance. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this merit a perfect rating in the future, and it should hit prime-time drinking around age 10, and have 20-25 years of overall longevity. It’s one of the few wines to hit this level of quality in the vintage. This 120 acres estate, under the leadership of the Maurel brothers and oenologist Philippe Cambie, continues to fashion some of the most profound wines on the planet. Their 2012s, which is a vintage compared to a mix of 2009 and 2010 by Vincent, fall just short of what was accomplished here in 2010 and 2007, but are incredible wines that certainly rank at the top of the vintage. Readers should also check out the retrospective from this estate in Issue 214 to get an idea how these wines evolve. [Jeb Dunnuck, 10/01/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2018-2032