Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark and dense red with an intense nose of red and black berries, spice. The palate is a beautiful composition, silky tannins, power and elegance. Overall, the wine is expressive, noble and complete.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Based on 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre and Muscardin and aged two years in foudre and barrel, the 2022 Chateauneuf Du Pape Grand Vin offers a killer nose of ripe red and black fruits, wood smoke, peppery garrigue, and licorice. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and has a broad, layered mouthfeel, sweet tannins, ample mid-palate depth, and a gorgeous finish. It brings remarkable richness and depth while staying flawlessly balanced. Drink this gorgeous Châteauneuf-du-Pape over the coming 15 years. Drink 2026-2041.
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Wine Spectator
Warm and rich, with sweet tobacco leaf and mocha notes traveling alongside cassis and mocha-dusted cherry preserves. Sturdy and broadly textured, with singed alder smoke behind its savory elements of bay leaf and salty earth. A toasty oak impression is already nicely harmonized. A dark, chewy version, with pleasing earthiness and a defining spine of graphite. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2038.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Château de Nalys offers up aromas of dark berries, fresh thyme, licorice and flowers, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, structured and layered palate that is elegantly tannic thanks to the presence of Mourvèdre. Concluding long and spicy, this is a classic.
Since their very first vintage bottled under the Guigal name, in 1946, the Guigal family has produced a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The terroirs of Nalys realize a dream spanning three generations to join this leading prestigious and historic appellation. A property of 125 contiguous acres, Nalys is comprised of three spectacular plots within three of the best vineyards in the appellation: the famous “La Crau”, Nalys, and “Bois Sénéchal”. Already listed in regional land registers at the end of the 16th century, Chateau de Nalys is one of the oldest properties in the appellation, and begins a new chapter in the hands of Guigal.
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.