Domaine de la Janasse Chateauneuf-du-Pape (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Wine
Enthusiast -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
James
Suckling - Decanter
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
With an ample and structured substance, this cuvée is well-balanced, whose notes of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), combined with aromas of violets, cover a long and silky mouth, all in nerve. Pair well with dishes based on grilled and simmered meat, leg of lamb with herbs or stewed beef.
Professional Ratings
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape from bottle, the 2016 vintage was described as having the power of 2010 and similar to yet fresher than 2007. The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a great bouquet of black raspberries, tapenade, crushed violets, and spring flowers, and shares lots of similarities to the Chaupin cuvée (and it’s less expensive!). Full-bodied, incredibly elegant and seamless, it might be the finest traditional cuvée ever produced from this estate.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Exuberant blackberry and blueberry notes extend from nose to palate of this powerfully ripe, luscious wine. It’s decadent and forward yet full of mineral tension and taut, firmfooted tannins. Fresh fruit flavors are delightful already but this wine will please well through 2040. European Cellars. Cellar Selection
-
Wine Spectator
A lovely beam of cassis and dark plum fruit streams through, laced with anise and graphite notes and driving into a sage brush-accented finish. Shows the ripe, focused, racy feel of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits more dark fruit than I would've expected, with black cherries, black olives and tar all mingling on the nose. In the mouth, the blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault is full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a lush, lingering finish. Easy to drink now, it should age for at least a decade just on its sheer concentration and ripeness.
-
James Suckling
Very complex and deeply flavored with quite sappy, stalk influence, accentuating garrigue and floral elements. Some stony aromas, too. The palate has a polished, plush and assertive core of plump, ripe, red fruit and a long, plush, pastry-like tannin texture. Drink or hold.
-
Decanter
A deep, savoury nose with a back note of menthol overlaid with detailed bramble and raspberry. The palate has some fairly assertive tannins holding it all together, with good texture and relief. Nicely balanced, lots of detail to enjoy. Drinking Window 2020 - 2028
Other Vintages
2020-
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck - Vinous
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker - Decanter
- Vinous
-
James
Suckling
-
Wine
Spectator - Vinous
-
Jeb
Dunnuck -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Enthusiast -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling -
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker -
Jeb
Dunnuck -
James
Suckling
-
Wine
Spectator
-
Wine
Spectator -
Robert
Parker
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
-
Robert
Parker
Domaine de la Janasse has quickly become one of the Superstar estates of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Led by the dynamic Christophe Sabon, the estate combines the best of both traditional and modern techniques to craft a collection of truly riveting wines from “simple” value-priced VDP’s to benchmark Chateauneufs.
The estate was founded in 1976 by Aimé Sabon, Christophe’s father, who still oversees the vineyards and farms organically. The property consists of 40 Hectares, spread over as many as 70 different parcels throughout the appellation.
While Aime works in the vineyards, his son, Christophe Sabon, is in charge of wine production. Christophe is a self-proclaimed “great defender of Grenache,” which still represents 75% of their vines. He manages the common rusticity of Grenache-based wines through meticulous work in the vineyards and cellar. The result is a wide range of lavishly ripe, extracted Chateauneuf-du-Papes and Cotes-du-Rhônes that are complex and yet balanced with acidity -- often in contradiction to an appellation better known for sheer exuberance and power. As Robert Parker points out: “The young and talented Christophe Sabon continues to display the sure-handed touch of a veteran winemaker”.
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.