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% Mourvedre
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Blackberry and darker fruits, peppery herbs, and some classic Southern Rhône leather notes all emerge from the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape, a juicy, nicely balanced, elegant, medium-bodied red that shows the style of the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 90-92 -
James Suckling
The effusive raspberry and redcurrant fruit is wrapped around the well-crafted core of powdery tannins, giving this Chateauneuf good energy and some drive. Moderate acidity for the vintage. With a bit of aeration wild herb aromas develop adding more interest. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The pale ruby-colored 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah. It opens with bright aromas of redcurrant, red cherry, raspberry, tomato leaf, white pepper, cedar and cloves. Full-bodied, refined and framed by ripe tannins, this 2021 is a well-structured effort from the Grangeon family.
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Wine Spectator
Silky-textured, with glossy red and black fruit. Gains shape from gently grippy tannins, while crushed iron details add savory dimension. This is flecked with tapenade and fresh black pepper. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Best from 2025 through 2034. 550 cases made, 150 cases imported.
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.