This bottle of the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes came across as being a bit over the top for my tastes. It's big and burly, without the joyousness of the Cuvée Chaupin, focused more on dark fruit and spice, plum and cola, with a side of star anise. Full-bodied and velvety, with plenty of richness and concentration, one could make the argument that it still needs more time, or that it's in an awkward phase, but one could also make the argument that it's just overdone.