Winemaker Notes
Intense red with aromas of black fruits, blackberry jam. Smooth and full-bodied, with warm tannins.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A very structured and concentrated Chateauneuf for the 2021 vintage, with complex red-fruit aromas and a leafy freshness. In fact, it is almost minty. The fine tannins are quite serious, but the wine moves rather light-footedly over the palate in spite of this. Very long, deep finish that tends in a fascinatingly dark direction. From a slope at the extreme east of Chateauneuf with a very water-retentive soil that makes dry farming no problem. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Slightly deeper hued, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Croix De Bois sees a touch more stems (25%) and is brought up in concrete as well. It has a more floral, vibrant style compared to the Barbe Rac, with Bing cherries, forest floor, violets, and peppery herbs, as well as a Grand Cru Burgundy-like sense of elegance and refinement on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and balanced, with fine tannins and a gorgeous finish, it ranks with the gems in the vintage.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another star of the vintage, Chapoutier's 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois features attractive scents of crushed stone, dried herbs, fresh cherries and red raspberries. It's medium to full-bodied, with a silky mouthfeel and nicely concentrated fruit. It comes across as elegant and long, not overly extracted or tannic.
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Wine Spectator
A chewy, rich, savory red, with smoked sausage, wet soil and hoisin sauce merging with red fruit on a supple, well-proportioned frame. Not about power or ripe fruit but savory complexity and nuance. Mesquite smoke plays out on the long finish. Drink now through 2038.
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.