94 Pts Robert Parker - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"Utterly profound, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Bargeton (85% old vine Grenache from the sector of Chateauneuf du Pape called La Crau and the rest Mourvedre) is the only Chateauneuf to be completely aged in small barrels. This full-bodied wine has a deep ruby/purple color and a sweet nose of melted licorice, roasted Provencal herbs, blackberry, and deep, rich kirsch liqueur. It is quite full-bodied, unctuously textured, and juicy, with moderately high tannins. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades."

"I can’t speak highly enough of the job that Patrick Lesec does as a negociant, putting together interesting and high quality blends of Cotes du Rhones and Chateauneuf du Papes. He seems to have a talent for finding top quality sources for old vine Grenache, and his philosophy of bringing wines up is one of minimal intervention in a reductive environment with little exposure to oxygen. That’s important, because his wines often take a few years after bottling to strut their stuff. I have been very impressed with how the wines do perform in bottle, having purchased 1998s, 2000s, and 2001s, all of which seem to come into their own at about age four or five. I also noticed that his 2005s generally showed better out of bottle than they did last year prior to bottling." -Robert Parker