Winemaker Notes
Blend: 80% Grenache Noir, 7% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 5% Bourboulenc, 3% Cinsault
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
What a graceful and refined Chateauneuf. This glides over your palate thanks to the very fine tannins. Delicate aromas of spices, Amarena cherries and mulberries. So sensuous and creamy in the very long finish, with a touch of bitter oranges. Hard to believe this has 15.5% alcohol. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A beautiful wine in the vintage, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape has a ruby hue and ultra-classic aromatics of red and black fruits, peppery garrigue, lavender, and assorted spicy, herbes de Provence-like nuances. Based on 80% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 7% Mourvèdre, 3% Cinsault, and 5% Bourboulenc, it was partially destemmed, vinified in concrete, and aged in stainless steel. Medium-bodied, it has a pure, layered, graceful mouthfeel, ripe, silky tannins, and outstanding length.
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Vinous
Ripe raspberry and strawberry, licorice, dried herbs and a rosewater splash set the stage for the 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Round and refreshing, the inviting 2023 is distinctively juicy. It’s shaping up to be a fruit-driven, uplifting rendition of this cuvée.
Barrel Sample: 90-92
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.