Winemaker Notes
Dark red in color, this elegant and sophisticated wine offers notes of black cherry, blueberry, kirsch, and pepper. The finish is long and the wine shows great aging potential.
Blend: 55% Mourvèdre, 25% Syrah, 17% Grenache, 3%Other Varieties
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A perfumed nose of dark cherries, sweet spices, cocoa powder, dried thyme and hints of cola. It's full-bodied with finely grained tannins. Elegant and layered with a restrained character. Harmonious structure with a bright core of berries and herbs leading towards the focused, long finish.
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Vinous
The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée des Cadettes is a blend of 48% Mourvèdre, 32% Syrah and 20% Grenache from vines with an average age of 80 years. Pronounced aromas of red and black fruits, thyme, mint, cloves, crème de cassis and a dash of white pepper usher in the 2020 Cuvée des Cadettes. The result is a terrific red with a muscular profile, framed by velvety tannins and balanced by lively acidity. Full-bodied and bold, the finish is persistent and has the edge over the 2019.
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Wine Spectator
Plum reduction and cherry preserves are ripe and decadent in this red, backed up by slightly chewy tannins that give this good grip. Shows attractive concentration, but good energy too, with crushed iron laying a solid groundwork, while singed alder, dried flowers and toasted aniseed detail the long finish. Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache. Drink now through 2035.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This wine's 25% new oak (the balance is matured in a mix of older barrels and foudres) has given the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Cadettes a pronounced floral, spicy character that's a bit odd for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but it's pleasant when combined with the dark, cassis-like fruit. With its round, plump mouthfeel and ample weight on the palate, this is rather supple and charming for a cuvée that historically has demanded aging.
Rating: 91+?
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.