Domaine Pierre Usseglio et Fils Chateauneuf-du-Pape Mon Aieul 2004
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Wine Spectator
Packed with pure, ripe fruit--raspberry, boysenberry and fig--along with cocoa, tar and violet notes. Long, rich, dark finish shows lots of exotic spice, date and dried fruit notes. Tight on the finish, so cellar for a while. Best from 2007 through 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2004 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul, which spends 90% of its time in tank and 10% in old barrels, has turned out even better in bottle than it performed from cask. Basically 100% Grenache in 2004, this is clearly better than the 1999, which I own and drink frequently. It exhibits a deep ruby purple color and a wonderful sweet nose of black cherry, raspberry, licorice, spice box, and roasted herbs. Voluminous for a 2004, with full body, beautiful texture, a long, heady finish, and loads of fruit, glycerin, and decent acidity, this wine should drink beautifully for 12-15+ years. There was no 2004 Reserve des Deux Freres as all of that wine was put into the Mon Aieul.
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Wine
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.