Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Shows lots of exotic braised fig, black tea, roasted mesquite, incense and bittersweet cocoa notes, with a core of black cherry and raspberry fruit in reserve. The long, flashy finish lets pastis and Black Forest cake notes emerge. This has some toast to absorb, but it's all there.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Juline is a 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah that is fermented and aged in new oak. While very modern in orientation, given the huge concentration and fruit character in this vintage, this philosophy of winemaking and upbringing works far better in 2007 than it did in 2008. However, readers should be prepared for a wine that falls outside the normal parameters of Chateauneuf du Pape. It reveals plenty of vanillin, blackberry and cassis fruit intertwined with hints of espresso roast and smoke, deep, concentrated, full-bodied flavors, and lots of upside potential.
Range: 94+ Points
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.