Domaine Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pure Roussanne 2021
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
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Suckling
James
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Winemaker Notes
A deep, rich, serious wine with citrus and apple notes on the bouquet as well as a fresh, crisp, and exceptionally pure style on the palate.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pure Roussanne offers more ripe stone fruits, pineapple, orange blossom, spice, and honeyed flowers in a concentrated, powerful, vibrant style that's certainly a match for the best examples of this variety out there. Medium to full-bodied, fresh, and elegant on the palate, it brings a touch more richness and power than the Clairette release but has a similar purity and overall level of class. It's a heavenly Southern Rhône white that I wish every reader could taste!
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure Roussane is another strong effort from Usseglio. Fermented and aged in wood (a Stockinger foudre and a couple of Chassin barriques), it offers up classy aromas of pencil shavings, pear, melon and lime. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, plump, fleshy and nicely textured, with a long, silky finish that hints at more toast and even a bit of hazelnut. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.
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James Suckling
I love the bright apricot, melon and honeycomb aromas that pour from the glass. Then comes an expansive palate, where there’s as much creamy complexity as vitality. Long and polished finish. Aged in a mix of Stockinger foudres and demi-mude.
Other Vintages
2020-
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
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Spectator
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Parker
Robert
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Spectator
Wine
The property, originally started by Raymond Usseglio, covers 16 ha of AOC Chateauneuf du Pape, one of which is planted with white varieties and 5 ha of Cotes du Rhone and 3 ha of IGP. Stephane Usseglio, son of Raymond, is the third generation to take over. He is pushing to reach the potential of the family’s holdings, some of the best of Chateauneuf. Half his vines are situated near the road in the lieu-dit "La Crau" and the other half on the hill across the road from the actual ruins of the new castle of the Pope. He has the good fortune to have very old vines. The average age for his Chateauneuf vines is between 50 & 60 years old and the cuvee Imperiale vines are over 110 years old. The domain started conversation into agriculture biologique in 2012.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
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.