Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Similarly colored to the Signature cuvée, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure boasts a heavenly, classic Pure perfume of wild strawberries, kirsch, and black cherries intermixed with exotic spices, crushed flowers, nori (the seaweed wrapper used for sushi), and sandy, loamy, earthy notes. Possessing full-bodied richness and a multi-dimensional, ultra-fine, yet intense and powerful style on the palate, it has the purity of the vintage and is just a quintessential example of this cuvée that couldn't get any better. It reminds me of the 2005, only with more purity and freshness. It's already sensational (it's probably the most approachable vintage of this cuvée I remember) but this cuvée always gains depth and weight with bottle age. Give it 3-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following two decades. Hats off to the young Julien Barrot for yet another truly sensational wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There are nearly 300 cases of the nectar that is the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure. Produced from 100+-year-old Grenache vines grown in sandy soils, simply put, it's just awesome juice. A kaleidoscope of red fruits—cherries, raspberries and strawberries—swirl languorously across the palate, boasting great intensity while seeming weightless at the same time. Hints of dried herbs and spices add complexity to this luscious concoction, which must be tasted to be believed. Silky and endless, and showing no alcoholic heat on the finish, it's the poster child for great Grenache. Am I being too conservative at 99 points?
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Wine Spectator
Features an intriguing mix of lush and grippy aspects, with a large core of steeped plum, blackberry and boysenberry fruit showing a caressing side, while light charcoal, tar and licorice root accents add a contrasting textural element. Shows a subtle roasted apple wood backdrop on the finish. Nicely put together. Best from 2022 through 2040.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
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.