La Ferme du Mont Vendange Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2012
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Robert
Parker
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Chateauneuf du Pape Vendange comes mostly from the la Crau lieu-dit and is 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre. Aged mostly in concrete tanks and 20% in barrels, this beauty is shockingly good in the vintage and has a full, rich, layered profile on the palate to go with lots of plum, violets, licorice and asphalt-like characteristics on the nose. Textured, concentrated and with fine tannin, it will drink well on release and evolve for a decade.
Range: 91-93
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2010-
Robert
Parker
Our vines grow in a completely natural environment in harmony with Provencal vegetation. The vines are tended all year long with the sole aim of producing top quality fruits. No chemicals or pesticides are used (other than in the case of disease). We believe that Fine Wine can only be produced from top quality grapes.
Vintage after vintage FDM renews the tradition of the lasting bond between extraordinary grapes and their unique soil to produce wines of excellence. Owner and Winemaker Stéphane Vedeau and his team use their passion to produce the finest wines. As an independent family business, FDM has a duty to offer excellent service to its clients, to establish and maintain long term relationships and to preserve the land ready to pass on to the next generation.
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.