Winemaker Notes
A rich and expressive nose: blackcurrants, blackberries Powerful and roundness in the mouth: an impressively long finish in the mouth, the tannins are perfectly mellow. There are dominant aromas of undergrowth and leather. Complex aromas up until then uniquely reserved to wine having aged for a long period of time, are already present.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
After gushing over this wine as a barrel sample when I tasted it blind prior to release, perhaps it was inevitable that a few years later the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire didn't quite live up to my original lofty expectations (98 - 100). Still youthful in hue, with no bricking, it's floral and spice-driven on the nose, with almost Campari-like notes, plus cherries and raspberries. Full-bodied, silky, long and remarkably complex, it's still a beautiful wine to drink over the next decade or so.
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Wine Spectator
A seductive style, with supple-edged sandalwood, rooibos tea, mulled raspberry and plum notes all melded together atop a very silky but persistent structure. Sneakily long, with a latent tarry echo and whiff of garrigue on the finish. Grenache and Mourvèdre. Best from 2020 through 2040.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I continue to think the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire lags behind past great vintages of this cuvée, yet it’s nevertheless a beautiful wine. Coming all from the northern sector of the Farguerol lieu-dit in the northern part of the appellation and all Grenache that was partially destemmed and aged in a mix of concrete and demi-muids, it has a lighter ruby hue as well as a beautiful bouquet of ripe cherries, , kirsch, black tea, violets, honeysuckle, and licorice. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it’s seamless and elegant on the palate, with light tannins and beautiful balance, yet it lacks the depth, richness, and power of a top vintage. Drink this elegantly styled beauty over the coming two decades.
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.