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The French wine region known as the Rhone straddles the Rhone river valley from just south of Lyon and ending 125 miles later just south of Avignon near the Mediterranean. There are well over 20 grape varieties used in the production of Rhone wines with each appellation having rules permitting the use of only certain grapes. The major red grape variety in Southern Rhone wines is Grenache followed by Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvedre. The major white grape varieties in white wines of the Rhone are Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Ugni Blanc, Bourboulenc, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier.
The major appellations (or AOC's) in the Southern Rhone wine region are: Cotes du Rhone (the lowest classification and allowed for use in all 171 communes in the Northern and Southern Rhone), Cotes du Rhone Villages, Cotes du Rhone Villages (with the name of the particular village placed after), Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, and Gigondas. Most of the red wines in the south are dominated by the Grenache grape. The sweet wines called Beaumes de Venise or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, and dry rose; wines of Tavel should also be noted.
The major appellations (or AOC's) in the Northern Rhone are: Condrieu, Cornas, Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, and Saint-Joseph. The major red grape variety in all Northern Rhone wines is Syrah.
JD95+95–97 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin is mostly Grenache sourced from the northern part of the appellation (a small part comes from La Crau), and it was 70% destemmed and brought up in foudre and tank. A deeply hued barrel sample, it offers lots of cassis and pure black raspberry fruits, medium to full body, incredible purity, great tannins, and a blockbuster finish. This is another regal, flawlessly put together Grenache from this talented team. (Jeb Dunnuck)SP9494 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2022 Ripe but very focused, with a streamlined feel to the mix of raspberry, red currant and bitter cherry fruit flavors. Reveals a racy apple wood note coursing underneath, while licorice, black tea and graphite fill in through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2038. 1,500 cases made, 504 cases imported. (James Molesworth)
JD9999 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 Even better, and flirting with perfection, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Prestige Blanc is 60% Roussanne and 20% each of Grenache Blanc and Clairette, aged in 50% new demi-muids. Truly sensational notes of tangerines, quince, white flowers, smoke, and crushed stone emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, with a Grand Cru Burgundy-like sense of minerality, perfect balance, and a great finish. There are fewer than 200 cases produced, but this is world class in every way. It too will evolve for 20–25+ years. (Jeb Dunnuck)
SP9696 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 31, 2014 Tightly coiled for now, this features an intense, vivid core of anise, blackberry coulis, plum paste and macerated fig fruit, with black tea, smoldering tobacco and warm ganache notes. Long and dense, but very silky, with gorgeous violet and pastis details lingering in the background. Should unwind with time. Best from 2017 through 2035. 390 cases imported.RP95+95–98 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Oct 2013 Most likely one of the top 2–3 wines produced, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a rough blend of 80–85% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre (which was harvested October 10) and the balance Syrah, that hit 15.4% natural alcohol. Seeing the same elevage as the 2011, it sports an inky purple color as well as spectacular array of black and blue fruits, violets, liquid flowers and underbrush to go with an energetic, seamless and full-bodied profile on the palate. Lighter weight than the 2007 and 2010, it possesses notable freshness, purity and elegance. It should benefit from short-term cellaring and thrill for upward of two decades. Drink 2016–2032.VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2015 Inky ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berry preserves, incense and lavender, with a smoky overtone and bright minerality. Pliant and seamless in the mouth, offering intense, palate-staining cassis and blueberry flavors that are energized by juicy acidity. Shows real power and focus on the strikingly long finish, which features velvety tannins and a hint of candied flowers. There’s 15% alcohol here, which is actually quite low for this bottling, and I don’t detect any undue heat.ST93+93–95 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - Jan/Feb 2014 Inky ruby. Blackberry, blueberry and pungent herbs on the mineral-accented nose, with a floral topnote providing lift. Impressively sweet, lush and deep, showing sexy flavors of dark berry preserves, candied lavender and spicecake. Finishes very long and smooth, with supple tannins, lingering spiciness and outstanding clarity.
JD91+91–93 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 The 2020 Côtes du Rhône Villages Terre d’Argile, which comes from vines just north of Châteauneuf du Pape, is always a stunning Côtes du Rhône. In fact, there’s not many better out there. The 2020 shows the pure, lively style of the vintage as well as classic cassis and raspberry fruits supported by toasted spice and floral notes. It’s medium to full-bodied, balanced, and clearly an outstanding, impeccably made wine. (Jeb Dunnuck)SP9191 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2022 A stylish red, with impressive polish to the flavors of cassis and red licorice highlighted by dried anise, vanilla and singed alder. Boasts snappy acidity and silky tannins, which nicely frame the lush palate. Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2026. 3,500 cases made, 750 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Oct 2014 One of the blockbusters in the vintage, the inky-colored 2012 Châteauneuf du Pape La Reine des Bois — 80% Grenache, completely destemmed and aged 12 months in 80% stainless steel and 20% old barrels — offers fantastic richness and depth in its blackberry liqueur, graphite, wood smoke and crushed-rock-like aromas and flavors. An elegant, stylish and polished example of this cuvée, it comes closest in my mind to a lighter-weight 2010. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and with fine tannin, it will drink well for 10–15 years.VN9494 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2015 Inky ruby. High-pitched red and dark berry scents are complemented by suggestions of candied flowers and smoky Indian spices. Silky, sweet and palate-staining, offering intense black raspberry and blueberry flavors and an exotic twist of blood orange. Manages to be both powerful and lithe, finishing with harmonious tannins and outstanding clarity and length.ST93+93–95 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - Jan/Feb 2014 Deep ruby. Fresh black and blue fruits on the highly perfumed nose, with floral and Indian spice nuances adding complexity. Sappy, penetrating and pure, with very good depth and energy to its boysenberry and cherry-cola flavors. At once rich and lively, finishing with impressive power, supple tannins and lingering spiciness.
JD90+90–92 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 10/6/2020 A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre brought up in tank, the 2019 Côtes Du Rhône La Dame Rousse is a big, rich, powerful Côtes du Rhône loaded with notions of smoked black cherries, licorice, scorched earth, and ample minerality. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Southern Rhône that has terrific purity of fruit, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish. I love its balance and it’s going to deliver ample pleasure over the coming 4–6 years. (Jeb Dunnuck)
JD98+98+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux includes slightly more Mourvèdre and comes from a cooler parcel in the northern part of the appellation. It has another level of purity and precision compared to the Trois Sources and has extraordinary notes of blueberries, cassis, black licorice, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Incredibly concentrated, massive, and yet perfectly balanced, it has no hard edges and is just an incredible tasting experience. Hide bottles for 4–5 years and enjoy over the following 20–25 years. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP9696 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 30th Oct 2012 The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Trois Sources comes from the estate’s vineyards planted in sandy soils. About 10,000 bottles have been produced. One of the great wines of the vintage, this unbelievable Chateauneuf is still extremely young and primary. Its opaque purple color is followed by scents of ink, acacia flowers, blueberries, black raspberries and blackberries. While full-bodied, extremely concentrated and massive, the wine is totally harmonious with beautifully integrated acidity, tannin and alcohol (which is no doubt in excess of 16%). Give this 2010 five more years of cellaring and drink it over the following 20–25 years.ST9494 pts. - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar - Jan/Feb 2013 Bright purple. Explosive aromas of dark berry liqueur, potpourri, candied licorice and sandalwood. Lush and expansive, offering sweet blackberry and blueberry flavors and an exotic floral pastille nuance. Closes sappy, sweet and impressively long, with intense lavender and dark berry flavors and harmonious, framing tannins.
JD96+96+ pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 More cassis, morello cherry, Asian spice, and a beautiful sense of minerality and loamy earth emerge from the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources, a full-bodied, concentrated blend of 60% Grenache, 15% each of Cinsault and Syrah, and the balance Mourvèdre. Coming all from the estate’s sandy soils in the northern part of the appellation, this incredibly concentrated, textured wine has perfect balance, building tannins, and a great finish. Give this beauty another 4–5 years in the cellar and drink it over the following two decades or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)
JD9797 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 10/6/2020 The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve comes from a single terroir (which is closest to the Les Trois Sources terroir) and is always a tiny production cuvée that’s just about impossible to find in the market. The 2018 shows the more elegant, seamless style of the vintage beautifully and has a gorgeous bouquet of cassis, blueberries, crushed violets, smoked game, ground pepper, and black licorice. This carries to a seamless, full-bodied wine that has no hard edges, flawless balance, and silky tannins, as well as a great finish. This is just about as good as 2018 gets and is a singular, gorgeous wine that’s going to evolve gracefully for 15+ years or more. (Jeb Dunnuck)VN9696 pts. - Vinous - Oct 2021 Inky ruby. Expansive red and dark berry preserve, licorice and potpourri aromas are complemented by an exotic spice flourish and a suggestion of smoky minerality. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry and cherry cola flavors, along with five-spice powder and candied lavender nuances. Slowly firms up with air and shows superb clarity, building tannins and outstanding, floral-driven persistence on the finish.
JD100100 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve is another magical wine, and I might have rated this cuvée a perfect score more than any other Southern Rhône. Unquestionably in the same realm as the 2017, 2016, 2010, 2005, 2003, and 2001, it has an incredible, full-bodied, massive style that somehow stays perfectly balanced, with flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, acidity, and alcohol. Lots of red, blue, and black fruits, loamy earth, Asian spice, licorice, and violet nuances emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, building yet polished tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s a sexier, more opulent wine than the Les Hauts-Lieux release yet has the same perfect tannins that are so rare to find in the vintage. This required at least 4–5 years of bottle age and will drink brilliantly for 20–25+ years. (Jeb Dunnuck)
JD9191 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 Moving to the 2019s from bottle, the Côtes Du Rhône Lieu-Dit Clavin always shows the style of this estate as well as the vintage, and the 2019 is well worth seeking out. Black cherries, gravelly earth, spicy herbs, and violet notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, floral, seamless Côtes du Rhône that does everything right. (Jeb Dunnuck)
RP91+91–93 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 5th May 2022 Tasted from tank, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape looks to be another highly successful vintage. It boasts this cuvée’s usual complex florals allied to red raspberries and cherries, but it doesn’t come across quite as concentrated or rich as the 2019 version. Medium to full-bodied, it’s silky in feel, with a sense of charm and easy elegance. (Joe Czerwinski)JD91+91–93 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 11/3/2021 Not yet bottled, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape offers a rich, full-bodied, concentrated, yet beautifully balanced style as well as the classic freshness and purity of the vintage. It has textbook notes of red and black berry fruits, violets, peppery garrigue, and orange blossom, with silky tannins and nicely integrated acidity. (Jeb Dunnuck)
JD96+96–99 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 10/6/2020 Even better, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes boasts a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a heavenly nose of Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, flowery incense, and both red and black fruits. Delivering incredible elegance as well as full-bodied power, it offers silky tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Two to three years of bottle age are going to be warranted, and it’s going to have two decades of overall longevity. This is a brilliant Châteauneuf Du Pape in the making!
JD96+96–99 pts. - Jeb Dunnuck - 10/6/2020 Even better, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes boasts a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a heavenly nose of Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, flowery incense, and both red and black fruits. Delivering incredible elegance as well as full-bodied power, it offers silky tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great, great finish. Two to three years of bottle age are going to be warranted, and it’s going to have two decades of overall longevity. This is a brilliant Châteauneuf Du Pape in the making!