Winemaker Notes
An intense dark-ruby color. The nose develop aromas of ripe black fruit (such as blackberry), cherry and spice box. The palate reveals the presence of tannins, in high quantity and elegant. The finish is long and luxurious. This is the Châteauneuf du Pape expression, displaying all the characteristics of the terroir.
Blend: 90% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Like all of the Alain Jaume wines, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Grangette des Papes doesn't lack for flavor. It's full-bodied and rich, loaded with plummy notes of black cherries and hints of dark chocolate. Framed by supple and velvety tannins, with a savory finish tinged with roasted meat and mocha, it should be capable of drinking well for a decade after release.
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wine Spectator
Racy and fresh in style, with a tightly focused beam of raspberry and dark cherry puree flecked with anise and black tea notes along the way. Mineral underpinning on the finish. Best from 2022 through 2034.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Blackberries, darker cherries, leather and peppery herbs, and violet notes all emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Grangette Des Papes, another classic 2017 with loads of Provençal character and charm. Medium to full-bodied, nicely textured, and balanced, it's well worth following over the coming 8-10 years. This cuvée is always a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre that’s brought up mostly in stainless steel, with 10% brought up in new barrels.
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.