The 2016 Lirac Domaine du Clos de Sixte is a terrific wine, easily the rival to many Châteauneufs from across the river, starting with its alluring aromas of flowering garrigue and ripe cherries. A blend of 50% Grenache,... Read More
Colour: Dark and deep ruby with purple undertones. Nose: Very rich with ripe black fruit, cherry, fig and slightly smoky. Mouth: Round and powerful, great balance between the tannins and the body, with notes of red fruit.... Read More
Colour: Dark and deep ruby with purple undertones. Nose: Very rich with ripe black fruit, cherry, fig and slightly smoky. Mouth: Round and powerful, great balance between the tannins and the body, with notes of red fruit.... Read More
The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape ratchets up the intensity from the Coudelet, adding more pronounced Mourvèdre-derived notes of truffle and tree bark to go with ripe black cherries and plums, crushed stone and hints of dark... Read More
Made from a blend of 60-year-old vines of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, this is a graceful expression of what cooler microclimates in Gigondas can deliver. The wine is enjoyable in its youth, with notes of blackberries,... Read More
Pretty dark garnet color with purple reflections. The nose is rich, complex on black fruits (blackcurrant, cherries and olives) with peppery and oral touches due to the high proportion of Syrah. The palate is full, dense, with... Read More
A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from old vines located in and around Le Crau. The Grenache... Read More
A second consecutive winner from this fine estate, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is 66% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Cinsault and 3% of the other permitted varieties. Grilled red plums lead off, fleshed out by... Read More
Notes of mulled purple plum, blueberry, rhubarb and rose mingle with wild thyme on the nose. The palate boasts a deep core of blackberries, black cherries, a touch of blood orange, rhubarb and a deep crush of violets. Persistent... Read More
Mostly (66%) Grenache, with smaller amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah (12% each), and tiny amounts of the other permitted varieties, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard is inky in color, with aromas that hint at... Read More
Fresh aromas of crushed strawberries, dried cranberries, dark plums, rosehip and wild mint meld beautifully in the glass. Its acidity strikes brilliantly against a palate of black cherries, blueberries, blood orange, wild thyme,... Read More
A classic tank-matured blend, led by the big four—Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne—and spiced up by the inclusion of tiny proportions of Picpoul Blanc and Picardan, plus a small barrel component,... Read More
Rasteau 2020 offers intense aromas of black fruit and blueberries, lifted by a touch of spice. The density and depth of the palate associate fruit and minerality with remarkable persistence.
The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (350 cases produced) was made from low yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare. This wine oozes black raspberry and blackberry fruits intermixed with floral, forest floor, garrigue and... Read More
Well-built, with a steady intensity to the waves of white peach, star fruit, acacia, honeysuckle and mirabelle plum. Delivers flashes of lemon shortbread and quinine through the finish, giving it both plump and racy elements.... Read More
Tasted as a tank sample of the final blend, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau is a blend of approximately 60% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah and 5% other permitted varieties, with about 30% whole bunches used in... Read More
From some of the appellation's cooler sites and 60- to 80-year-old vines, the 100% Grenache 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis is a stunner. It has a true sense of garrigue, along with dark fruit, peppery spice and rich, velvety... Read More
While no 2021 was presented, the 2020 Gigondas is stunningly good and is loaded with notions of red cherries, framboise, sappy flowers, and pepper. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced Gigondas offering... Read More
Marked by scents of Provence herbs, cherries and blueberries, the 2019 Gigondas is another successful example of this Southern Rhône appellation. Full-bodied and concentrated, it's rich and velvety in feel, with a long... Read More
Isabel Ferrando informed me during my visit that she planned to eliminate the Reserve Auguste Favier and Collection Charles Giraud bottlings, folding those lots and the tradition Saint-Prefert Châteauneuf into a single,... Read More
A négociant offering comprising 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault, Saint Cosme's 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape offers subtle thyme and sage notes overlaid on red cherries, with a hint of menthol.... Read More