Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Also superb and a knockout wine in the vintage, the 2011 Cuvée Chaupin boasts a rich, medium to full-bodied profile, as well as perfumed aromas of black cherry, licorice, sappy garrigue, and wild flowers. Layered, textured, and elegant, with building richness and plenty of underlying structure, it will benefit for a handful of years in the cellar, and shine for 10-12 years or more.
Range: 93-95 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Chaupin should continue to drink well for at least a few more years. A medium to full-bodied effort, it delivers notes of fine leather, ripe cherries, pressed flowers and dried plums, but it's rather loosely structured and open-knit. Best after 2015
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Wine Spectator
Bright kirsch, bitter cherry and pomegranate notes are lined with hints of shiso leaf and plum pit. Lively acidity holds the finish, while this fleshes out steadily in the glass, showing darker anise and blackberry notes, with subtle minerality. Best from 2014 through 2026.
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.