Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape (375ML half-bottle) 2017
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Jeb
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Enthusiast
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Winemaker Notes
The 2017 Domaine Chante Cigale Chateauneuf-du-Pape exudes aromas full of fruit and spices. The mouth is fleshy with notes of red and black fruits enhanced with very fine tannins.
Blend: 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Not yet bottled, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape nevertheless is loaded with potential. Rocking notes of black raspberries, new saddle leather, spring flowers, and ground pepper all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, deep, layered 2017 that has ripe tannins and a great finish. It's going to hit the ground running and drink spectacularly well for 10-15 years. The blend is 65% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the balance Cinsault, brought up in foudre and demi-muids.
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Wine Enthusiast
This is an intoxicating, intriguing wine that introduces itself with whiffs of bramble and forest, charred plum and crushed pepper. A Grenache-dominant blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault vinified with no new oak, it offers profoundly ripe blackberry flavor marked by a swathe of velveteen tannins and zips of tart cassis acidity. Inviting already but should improve through 2030.
Other Vintages
2020-
Jeb
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Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
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Wine
Enthusiast - Decanter
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Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Spectator
- Vinous
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Robert
Parker
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Robert
Parker
Domaine Chante Cigale's history starts in 1874 when Hyppolite Jourdan choose to name the 28 hectares family property Clos Chante Cigale.
In 1936, CNP was declared the 1st AOC in France and all the producers then started to structure themselves to face up to the new challenges. At that time, Paul Jourdan was at the head of the family estate and he decided to rename it “Domaine Chante Cigale”
The Domaine Chante Cigale is one of the most important family estates of Chateauneuf du Pape. Alexandre Favier is now carefully running the winery by keeping up with the winemaker’s tradition of the family.
The Estate stretches over more than 40 hectares on the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, divided into 45 parcels, scattered all over this exceptional terroir. The diversity of its soils and of the grape varieties allows the elaboration of unique and exceptional wines. Alexandre Favier and his team are taking good care of every step of the wines production themselves, respecting this way the spirit of the Domaine.
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.