Winemaker Notes
The nose is rich and expressive, mixing leather and forest floor with blackcurrant and blackberry. These complex aromas, usually reserved for wine that has aged for a long period of time, are already present. The tannins are mellow, with a roundness in the mouth and an impressively long finish.
Blend: 84% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Syrah
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich and very concentrated Chateauneuf with impeccable balance between the huge fine tannins, red fruits, candied orange peel and dried flowers. So powerful, but not a jot overbearing, this is only just beginning to reveal its enormous depths. Extremely dense long finish. Wait long enough and this will taste like Grand Cru Burgundy on steroids!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire is approximately 84% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 6% Syrah, predominantly from a vineyard planted in the late 19th century. Aged almost entirely in foudre, it nevertheless hints at smoke and campfire on the nose while remaining dominated by black cherries and red raspberries. Full-bodied and concentrated, with ample depth and richness, this really shows its class on the long, silky, mouthwatering finish. It should drink well for upwards of a decade.
Rating: 95+
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.