Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Although it is extremely limited in availability, readers should not forget the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre. This remarkable wine boasts inky, raspberry and kirsch liqueur notes interwoven with spring flowers, loamy, sandy soil, balsam wood and forest floor, and a full-bodied, multidimensional mouthfeel. The color is a dense purple, there is good acidity underlying the wine's tremendous opulence and voluptuous texture, and the tannins are sweet. It is another fabulous example of old vine Grenache that should drink well for 15-20 years.
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Wine Spectator
Marries massive layers of lush, modern-styled boysenberry paste, plum pâte de fruit, anise and blackberry paste to old-school charcoal, smoldering tobacco and licorice root notes. The structure is well-endowed, but shows polish and integration. Graphite girders support the finish while the acidity flows seamlessly. Captures fruit, terroir and the vintage character beautifully. Best from 2014 through 2030.
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.