Winemaker Notes
The “Classic” has a distinctive floral component and is a pretty wine, at the same time, it captures the power and spice you expect from a classic Châteauneuf. The vines average 50 years-old and are grown in a sandy loam and clay soil.
Blend: 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Looking better than it did from tank, Cristina's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape is ripe and rounded, with ample amounts of black cherries and plums, an exception to the overall red-fruited nature of the vintage. Full-bodied, creamy and lush, with a lingering, silky finish, this 85-15 blend of Grenache and Syrah should drink well for up to a decade.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base cuvée from this fabulous family estate is the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah brought up in a mix of foudre and concrete tank. It's a fleshy, forward, delicious 2020 revealing plenty of spicy red and black fruits, medium to full body, ripe, rounded tannins, and some classic peppery garrigue and leather nuances. Drink it over the coming 8-10 years.
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Vinous
The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape was vinified from organically grown grapes and aged for 18 months in a combination of foudre and concrete tanks. The 2020 bursts from the glass with ripe red and black fruits, dried herbs, tomato leaf and mint aromas. This is a medium to full-bodied, polished red with refreshing acidity and a sapid 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.