Winemaker Notes
The nose is warm and shows an attractive complexity characterized by understated red fruit and spice along with leather and tertiary notes. The palate is composed and lighter in weight, exhibiting a mix of red cherry and spice. There is a fine, balanced structure. This is an elegant, not heavyweight style expressing Cinsault and Grenache in particular, with the emphasis on finesse rather than power.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Steeped black cherry and singed anise notes are fluid and smooth in this streamlined red, layered with lavender, roasted apple wood smoke and charred herbs. Ripe, with good freshness, this ripples with chalky minerality, adding textural intrigue. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignan, Counoise, Terret, Picpoul, Muscardin, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Clairette and Roussanne.
-
James Suckling
Candied cherries, sweet cranberries and a touch of stewed herbs. Lightly chewy in terms of tannins, with a fluid center palate and a medium-length finish. A bit overripe, but approachable. A good, simple Chateauneuf that shows early appeal.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The Domaine de Vieux Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made elegantly, emphasizing Cinsault and Grenache. Indeed, this is so with their 2022 vintage. This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of freshly baked bread, ripe plums, and rustic spices. Try this with a slow-cooked lamb stew. (Tasted: December 22, 2024, San Francisco, CA)
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.