Winemaker Notes
La Cuvée Imperiale is from the Domaine's oldest vines, most of them over 100 years old. Extremely low yields guarantee a wine that is dense and profound. The ancient Grenache vines bring to this cuvee their finesse and elegance. Will age for dozens of years. Because it is bottled without any filtration, some sediment – natural and beneficial to the aging process – is possible.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the most singular wines out there is the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Impériale. Made from 100% very old vine Grenache and aged in tank, it offers a sensational bouquet of spring flowers, peach pit, black raspberries, violets and mint. Full-bodied, unctuous and layered, with an enormous mid-palate, it has silky tannin, incredible depth and a great, great finish. This beauty just glides across the palate and has another decade or more of prime drinking.
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Wine Spectator
Dark, with a brawny edge to the chestnut, briar and tobacco notes, which lead the way for the muscular core of black currant and fig fruit. There's a solid, tarry finish.
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.