Winemaker Notes
Purchased by Aimé and Isabel Sabon in 2013, Clos Saint Antonin is a suitable name as the farmhouse and its surrounding vineyards are contiguous and partially enclosed – something rather rare in the Southern Rhône where diverse and scattered parcels are the norm. The one exception is a few hectares of Grenache planted on sand in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the lieux-dits of La Fond du Loup and La Crau which we added to the estate from her family’s holdings at Domaine de la Janasse. Partially destemmed (90%) and fermented by natural yeasts, this wine is aged in demi-muid and foudre from 12 months before release.
Black cherries, red raspberries and hints of plum combine on the nose with hints of garrigue and licorice, while the full-bodied palate is silky and elegant.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Lastly, the 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape is a huge success in the vintage, and while it shows the softer, more supple style of the vintage, it doesn't lack depth, density, or complexity. Black raspberries, spring flowers, lit gunpowder, and peppery garrigue all give way to a medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced 2020 that's already hard to resist. This cuvée always shines for its elegance, and the 2020 is no exception.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Assembled from three parcels of vines, the all-Grenache 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape offers up gorgeous aromas of garrigue and red raspberries. Full-bodied and rich, it's concentrated, long and complex, folding in hints of chocolate without ever seeming overripe or heavy.
Barrel Sample: 92-95 -
Wine Spectator
Polished and modern, this unfurls a cascade of violet and raspberry and a pure beam of cassis. Though ripe and lush on the palate, this has good energy, with chalky mineral and fresh black pepper coating the finish. Offers charred apple wood smoke and baking spices that add warmth.
-
James Suckling
Aromas of berries, sweet spices, dried thyme, cloves and hints of smoke. Full-bodied with creamy tannins. It's round and velvety with a caressing texture. Supple and fruity towards 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.