Producer
Patrick Lesec Selections (Southern Rhône)

Region
Southern Rhône, France

Encepagement and Elevage for 2007 Vintage
65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 15% Syrah
30-50 year old vines
80% La Crau, 20% Vallori
Clay-limestone soil with pebbles
Harvested by hand
35% destemmed
18-25 day maceration
Elevage 90% in 1-4 year old barrels, 10% in stainless steel

Encepagement for the 2005 and 2006 Vintages
85% Grenache(50+ year old vines), 15% Mourvedre (20 year old vines)
80% La Crau    20% Vallori
Fermented in whole clusters
75% older barrels, 25% foudre
 
Encepagement
85% Grenache, vines average 50+ years old
15% Mourvedre, vines 20 years old
80% La Crau, 20% Vallori

Elevage
Not destemmed, whole clusters
3 weeks maceration
4 months fermentation
25% aged in foudre, 75% in older barrels
Not fined or filtered
Not racked until bottling, sulphur added only at bottling

Reviews for 2003 Vintage
From the Wine Advocate, #156 (Dec 2004): "Points: 92-94. Another knock-out offering is the 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Pierres Dorees. A blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre (two-thirds of the latter is aged in small barrels and one-third of the Grenache is aged in foudre, and the rest in tank), it includes 100% of the grape stems. From the La Crau and Valori sectors, it is a potentially awesome Chateauneuf du Pape with a saturated deep ruby color, a classic structure, and a superb perfume of black fruits, licorice, roasted meats, and earth. This full-bodied, dense, extremely persistent 2003 requires 3-4 years of cellaring, and should drink well for 12-15 years (one of the longest lived wines in the Lesec portfolio)." © The Wine Advocate

Reviews for 2005 Vintage
From the Wine Advocate, #173 (Oct 2007): “Points 92+   Another impressive {Chateauneuf du Pape is the 2005 Les Pierres Dorees}.   Made from 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvedre, this wine displays a much more animal personality, with notes of black truffle, blueberry, damp earth, asphalt, and licorice.   A structured, masculine wine very much in keeping with the style of the vintage, it is full-bodied, concentrated, and needs 3-4 years of bottle age and should evolve nicely for 15 or more years.” © The Wine Advocate

Reviews for 2006 Vintage
From the Wine Advocate, #173 (Oct 2007): Points 91-93
“The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Pierres Dorees has a similar dense ruby/purple-tinged color and a big, smoky, earthy nose of truffle, roasted vegetables, blackberry, sweet cherry, fig, and plum.   Complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, powerful wine with impressive extract, moderate tannins, and a long finish.   This is another big wine and a very concentrated effort for a 2006.   Drink it between 2010 and 2020.” © The Wine Advocate

From the Wine Advocate, #179 (Oct 2008) : “Points 912. Even more impressive is the 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Pierres Dorees. Aged in old small barrels (75%) and tank (25%), it is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvedre. A dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by aromas of fresh mushrooms, blackberries, cherries, plums, and figs. Full-bodied and rich with moderately high tannins, it is serious, classic, old style Chateauneuf du Pape that requires 2-3 years of cellaring: it should keep for two decades.” © The Wine Advocate

Reviews for 2007 Vintage
From the Wine Advocate, #179 (Oct 2008): “Points 91-94. Easier to evaluate was the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Pierres Dorees. A beautiful wine offering red and black fruits, incense, lavender, and spice box aromas and flavors, it is a deep, full-bodied, moderately tannic effort displaying the vintage’s hallmark purity and freshness. Look for it to evolve for 15 or more years.” © The Wine Advocate