Winemaker Notes
A Châteauneuf-du-Pape full of finesse and elegance. A vintage where the fruit predominates despite a supple structure.
This wine charms with its dense red color and sparkling peony reflections. Its intense and complex bouquet is remarkable. Its aura pleasantly transports the drinker into the world of the senses where aromas of black fruits, red fruits, spices, liquorice, tobacco, etc. mingle. After a rounded attack, the aromas of blackberry, kirsch cherry, garrigue and fennel open up in the mouth and linger on finely spicy flavors. This round and silky wine has very nice fine and elegant tannins accompanied by a beautiful freshness. In the finish, notes of spice and pepper leave a pleasant memory. Still young, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape needs a few years to reach its peak.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
Coming in at 15.3% alcohol, the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape spent 13 months in foudres. The result is a full-bodied, inviting red with a complex aromatic profile. Strawberry, spice box, thyme and minty shadings are all nicely delineated. Polished and harmonious,
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de Saje is fresher than the 1600 cuvée, evoking aromas of dark cherries, lilac, violets and dark wild berries. Medium to full-bodied, round and enrobing, it's layered with structured tannins and a long, elegantly floral finish. This blend of 80% Grenache Noir, 7% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and the rest of several authorized varieties is a classic.
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.