Winemaker Notes
A rich and expressive nose: blackcurrants, blackberries … Powerful and roundness in the mouth: an impressively long finish in the mouth, the tannins are perfectly mellow. There are dominant aromas of undergrowth and leather. Complex aromas up until then uniquely reserved to wine having aged for a long period of time, are already present.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
One of the 'best vintages we've had along with '98, very low yields, 15hl/ha even for the classic Châteauneuf, it was so warm, and we had coulure,' says Fabrice Brunel. This is starting to take on a little light brown edging in the glass already, meat stock and dried leaves - remarkably evolved for a 2010. A nice time to drink this, it's fully evolved but has some fruit left, there's a dab of strawberry jam on the finish. Full-bodied, powerful and driving on the palate with acidity and tannins that are quite marked - slightly aggressive in fact, very different to the 2015 and 2016. A good wine, but not as good as expected for a 2010 - perhaps other bottles are less evolved. Drinking Window 2020 - 2025
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.