Winemaker Notes
Produced since 2005 The newest addition to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the estate. It is born from their desire to choose the best of our different vineyards to create a fine wine which is elegant and fruity and which may be enjoyed in its youth. The grapes are from localities such as: Montalivet, Les Gallimardes and Les Serres.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aromas of roses, dark cherries, flowers and garrigue preface the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Clos du Mont Olivet, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a dense, fleshy core of fruit, supported by an abundance of sweet, velvety tannins that pave the way to a long, expansive finish. Composed of 75% Grenache Noir, 10% Mourvèdre, 9% Cinsault and small equal parts of Terret Noir, Muscardin, Picoult Noir, Vaccarèse and Counoise, this wine stands out as one of the finest red wines I have encountered at this address. With its structure and complexity, it promises to cellar well for over a decade.
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.