Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin, Terret Noir
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Prestige checks in as a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and the balance a mix of permitted varieties. Like the other cuvées, it’s completely destemmed and aged in a mix of larger foudre, demi-muids and tronconique tanks. Voluptuous, full-bodied, gorgeously polished and pure, with ultra-fine tannin, it has beautiful Grenache fruit, lots of pepper and underbrush nuances, a great mid-palate and a big finish. More nuanced and elegant than outright powerful, it's going to evolve gracefully on its balance and purity.
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Wine Spectator
Intense, with a delicious core of warm raspberry pate de fruit, cassis and linzer torte flavors wrapped in licorice and singed alder notes. The long finish has some heft but stays racy and driven overall, showing a flash of iron through the finish. Well-built. Best from 2020 through 2035
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James Suckling
Fresh aromas of dark toasted baking spices, licorice and star anise with sappy dark plum and blackberry fruit, too. The palate has seamlessly smooth and fluid texture. Tannins are long and hold a ripe, dark plum-flavored finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Showing a touch of warmth on the powerful finish, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Prestige should be drunk while young. The tannins are supple to the point of creaminess and the cherry-cola fruit is kept lively through a touch of green herbs or stems. The blend is 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% assorted other varieties; the élevage is in a combination of foudres and tronconic vats.
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.