Winemaker Notes
A brilliant and deep red with cherry reflections. A nose of great complexity, with aromas of red fruit jam mixed with hints of Provence (thyme, rosemary) and notes of fresh cocoa. Elegance, of purity with remarkable balance on the palate. Flavors of licorice, black fruit, wild plums before a silky, sensual touch the finish.
Blend: 55% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Dark chocolate and plum, with plentiful cola and clove oak. The tannins are still quite brusque, but this is still ageing. A touch pinched from the oak on the finish. If the tannins are smoothed out, this will make for an elegant wine with spicy complexity when fully mature.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Cherries and darker berries combine easily on the nose of the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Reserve, which is its usual proportions of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre. There's an attractive note of pine resin this year as well. Medium to full-bodied, it's not as rich as in the best vintages, but it's still a great wine, concentrated and silky, with a long, lingering finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Reserve is cut from the same cloth, with a fresh, vibrant, elegant profile. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, it clearly brings the most depth and structure in the lineup and has a brilliant perfume of crunchy black cherries, new leather, peppery garrigue, and hints of sandalwood. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully layered, elegant Châteauneuf Du Pape that would pass undetected in a lineup of Grand Cru Burgundy.
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Wine Spectator
There's pleasing woodsy undercurrent to the red currant and racy spiced plum flavors in this heady red. Savory, mouthwatering acidity gives this real focus and drive, despite the supple, very approachable profile, with earth, singed alder and iron shavings stretching out on the finish. Grenache and Mourvèdre.
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James Suckling
On the front palate it’s hard to believe that this silky and elegant expression of Chateauneuf has 15% alcohol. That’s party due to the solid tannin structure that underlies the generous body. However, at the finish you feel the alcohol slightly.
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.