Winemaker Notes
A beautiful clean ruby color. The nose will reveal aromas of cherry, mulberry, and fine spices. Sensual mouthfeel expressing depth and smoothness with aromas of kirsch, blackcurrant, followed by fine spices such as thyme, licorice, and white pepper. Tannins are present but are polished and silky. Complex wine with roundness, power, and a long mouthfeel.
Blend: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Crous Saint Martin Hommage A L'An 1879 (80% Grenache and 10% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre) is rock solid, with a sexy yet fresh style that's already a joy to drink. Sweet black raspberries, cherries, spring flowers, and spice all flow to a medium to full-bodied, seamless red that has polished tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. It has the ripe, sexy style of the vintage, yet still holds onto a terrific sense of freshness and elegance. It's a complex beauty that will keep for 10-15 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Piquant whiffs of chocolate, cardamom and clove mingle into black cherry and plum in this Grenache-based blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre. It’s profoundly ripe and concentrated, but shaded by earth and forest notes too. The palate is pliant, cushioned by soft, furry tannins. This hedonistic wine is irresistible already but should also improve further through 2030.
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.