Winemaker Notes
The other Châteauneuf of the family! For the most part Les Sinards is made from the young vines at Beaucastel and a neighboring vineyard we farm. Mostly Grenache, this is a classic Châteauneuf du Pape.
Intense red color with violet undertones. On the nose, it offers an intense bouquet of red and black fruit, sweet spices, noble wood and some mineral notes. The palate is balanced between freshness and softness with fine and elegant tannins and a very long finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Profoundly ripe but pristine blackberry and plum are cutting and crisp in this full bodied but vibrant red. Deep mineral tones as well as firm, angular tannins contribute to its edgy style. It drinks well now but is structured enough to improve through 2027 and hold further.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Slated to be bottled a week or so after my visit, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape les Sinards is pretty and floral, with those rose and violet nuances backed by red raspberries. Full-bodied yet silky and almost delicate in feel, it adds a charming dusting of cinnamon on the finish. Rating: 90-93
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Wine Spectator
Stylish, with warm plum sauce and blackberry puree flavors gliding through, inlaid with dark tea, singed sandalwood and anise notes. Offers a nice finishing kick of fruit and spice. Accessible now, thanks to the alluring fruit. Drink now through 2030.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the Châteauneuf Du Pape releases, the entry-level 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sinards offers a medium to full-bodied, elegant, fruit-forward style that carries plenty of garrigue, dried earth, and charcuterie notes. It’s a total charmer to enjoy over the coming 6-8 years. Rating: 89-91
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Decanter
2017 was a ripe and robust vintage in Châteauneuf du Pape – the driest vintage in 30 years – and the Perrin family, owners of Château de Beaucastel, are skilled at getting the best from the year. Les Sinards is made from the young vines at Beaucastel and vines from a neighbouring vineyard. Intense aromas of spicy red and black fruits, fresh and forward, with length and volume. Expressive now, but you could safely put it aside for a few years too.
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.