Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesNot yet bottled, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Haute-Pierre sports a deep ruby/purple color as well as a classic, traditional bouquet of ripe cherries, blackberries, sandalwood, and scorched earth. It's concentrated, has bright acidity, building tannin, and a great finish, all pointing to a wine that's going to need short-term cellaring yet keep for 10-15 years. It's a classic, superb wine from this team.
Range: 92-94
Ripe but pristine blackberry and cassis are shaded by savory earth, white mushroom and bramble in this opulent, elegant wine. It’s silky and sumptuous, with soft, chalky tannins and a lingering violet finish. Drink now– 2028.
Mostly grenache, with ten percent syrah, this is a spicy, rich Châteauneuf, with notes of fir, sage and rosemary adding freshness to the soft, sweet fruit. A crowd-pleasing style, it’s a good fit for a holiday table, with roast turkey.
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, Chateauneuf-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 Chateauneuf-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 Chateauneuf-du-Pape is white. 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.
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.
