Winemaker Notes
Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tradition is a nice red purple color with shiny highlights. On the nose, this Chateauneuf-du-Pape spreads aromas of little red berries. It has a sweeping silky smooth mouth.
Ideally be served with game, such as jugged hare or jugged boar.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Sweet blue and brambly red fruits are up front in this red, detailed with black licorice, singed garrigue and violet perfume. The palate is silky, with iron underpinnings and tangy orange peel acidity moving through, with hints of dusty earth, toasted alder and light mocha. Shows good density. Drink now through 2032.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Tradition (40% stems) shows the juicy, lively style of the vintage, with its ripe redcurrant and cherry fruit as well as floral, sappy garrigue and Provençal herb aromatics. Medium-bodied and balanced, in a classic style, it's going to keep for 10-12 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Tradition is a blend of 75% Grenache, 12% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, with the remaining 3% a mix of Cinsault, Counoise and Vaccarèse. It speaks of the vintage, a bit herbal and linear in style but still medium to full-bodied, with pleasantly ripe, silky cherry fruit and a dash of drying tannins on the finish.
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.