Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Secrets De Pignan (100% Grenache) comes from one of the top terroirs in the appellation and was brought up all in tank. Awesome kirsch liqueur and wild strawberry fruits as well as roasted herbs, nori, licorice, and baking spice notes just about jump from the glass of this beauty, and it's full-bodied, with a deep, layered, unctuous texture, sweet tannins, and a monster of a finish. This tour de force in Grenache is going to shine for two decades or more. Bravo to Eric Bonnet!
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Decanter
Silky and flowing, an elegant style of wine that's concentrated and fresh with fragrant thyme and black cherry flavours and a long finish that is focussed with sweet tannin. The alcohol is high - it's 100% Grenache after all - but the wine remains remarkably balanced. 6,000 bottles made. South-facing Grenache vines planted in 1920 on sand in lieu-dit Pignan, fermented and then matured in stainless steel for 18 months.
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.