Best of In-Stock Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape still remains the most recognized region in the Rhône Valley, which is a hub for fantastic values across the spectrum of its offerings. As with the everyday value that Côtes-du-Rhône provides, the cost-to-quality ratio for the higher-end wines from Châteauneuf is nearly insurmountable by any other region. In Bordeaux, for instance, many of the great châteaux’s second wines would be twice the price. And in Burgundy, village level wines from 1st- and 2nd-tier producers would far exceed these price points. And let’s not talk about Napa Valley... In Châteauneuf, on the other hand, you get to drink estate wines at prices that shame other regions. We have several Direct Import producers that have nailed this QPR. When you taste one of their wines, I think you will agree that almost no other region does it better on this scale (except maybe Rioja, some darn good values there too...) Here are my top picks in the stores right now all at the most exciting prices:
The 2016 Gigognan was one of our greatest Châteauneuf success stories. It was a successful vintage and the price was tough to beat. We went through hundreds of cases of this wine. The 2017 Château Gigognan "Clos du Roi" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $34.99 95WE is a worthy successor. The estate hold back the wine for us until it is in a great drinking state, and we recently received our last pallet of this delicious and highly enjoyable red. Most wine production has seen a marked increase in price, but we were able to keep the '17 right in line with the 2016. Thank goodness for the good will and quality winemaking at Gigognan. Now, with a few extra years of age under its belt, the 2017 is an absolute stunner, loaded with aromas of creme de mure, fig jam, and violets. It has a layered complexity that continues to unfold in the glass, giving way to a creamy palate of blackberry, licorice and black olive. The finish is long, silky and sumptuous. This is one of the best expressions of a 2017 I have seen in some time, showing both the ripeness of the vintage and a seamless and balanced finish. Bravo!
One of our more recent direct partnerships was with Domaine Benedetti. This estate was founded in the 1930s by Nicolas Benedetti who immigrated from Italy as a fieldworker. Now his great grandson, also a Nicolas, runs the property. Nico joined the estate in the early 2000s, and he and his father, Christophe, converted the winery to organic production. They were far ahead of the trend. Their most special wine is a plot of old-vine Grenache from the western part of the lieu-dit of La Crau (one of the most desired sub-regions in Châteauneuf). The 2020 Domaine Benedetti "Larmes Papales" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $49.99 95JS is a pure expression of Grenache that is nearly boundless. Showing the finesse and concentration of the 2020 vintage, the wine has an explosive nose of raspberry, strawberry compote, and cherries jubilee, while the palate shows layers of fruit, baking spice, tobacco, and bay leaf. The texture is silky on the palate, with balancing acidity and a nearly weightless feel. After just a few years in our portfolio of Direct Import producers, this has jumped to the top of my list of favored wines. Every vintage is a singular expression that produces a worthy experience of a wine.
Not exactly a Direct Import but a tremendous find nonetheless, is the 2020 Domaine de la Cote de l'Ange Châteauneuf-du-Pape $29.99 94JD. I have always been fond of this estate, and we struck a deal with the importer to bring this in at a retro price. It’s seldom you see an estate this prominent for a price point that would have been more common 15 years ago. Cote de l’Ange is what I like to call old school. The wines are on the drier side of the fruit profile, showing more finesse and elegance with aromas of fresh red fruit accompanied by dried herbs and potpourri. This isn’t on the bombastic side, which is a nice alternative to many of the more powerful styles that come from this sun-drenched region.
The new 2020 Domaine Durieu "Lucile Avril" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $44.99 97JS 96JD is for those looking for that more solar style of wine. Durieu is a house on the rise, and they have continually impressed us since the 2015 vintage. The wines are sumptuous and bold. They fit the profile for those looking for the classically rich styles that distinguish Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I would hesitate to lean too much into the description of "opulence" though. The 2020 Lucile Avril is named for the matriarch that married Henri Durieu, thus uniting their two family estates. The wine is made using the oldest vineyard plots, many planted before the first World War all on the terroir of large rolled stones that add warmth and richness to this wine. The Lucile Avril is fleshy and rich, brimming with raspberry and blackberry fruit. It shows layered nuances of potpourri and anise along with tobacco and new saddle leather. The balance is seamless showing weight and intensity but no harshness. This is a new benchmark for one of the best producers in our portfolio.
Finally, the 2019 Xavier Vignon "Cuvée Anonyme" Châteauneuf-du-Pape $49.99 95-97JD is yet another feather in the cap of one of our greatest acquisitions to our Direct Import portfolio. Xavier Vignon is one of the top consulting winemakers in the south and his eclectic ideology sometimes includes fractional blending across varietals, vineyards, and vintages. He is probably most famous to our customers for bottling older stocks of tank-aged Châteauneufs and Cornas wines. He often works with his own clientele to find these hidden gems in cellars across the Rhône. But he really became famous in the broad market for his Cuvée Anonyme. Xavier often takes fruit in trade for services rendered and the Anonyme is from some of the best old-vine parcels that he works with every year. Because it is Anonyme (Anonymous), he keeps the sources for this wine quiet, but every year it is one of the top releases in his own portfolio. The 2019 shows saturated flavors of blackberry, fig jam, toasted herbs and a panoply of spices. It is complex and inviting and shows all the hallmarks of the power of the 2019 vintage. But as with all of Xavier’s wines, there is that streak of finesse on the palate. The tannins are integrated, the acidity keeps the wine lifted and never heavy across the palate. Yet another triumph from one of our best vignerons!