This tiny, 2.5-hectare estate was planted mainly during WWII, with some vines even older at 90+ years. The consulting winemaker is, naturally, Philippe Cambie, who must make over half of Chateauneuf’s top wines.
Unlike many of Cambie’s other Chateauneufs, though, the approach here is unabashedly traditional, with whole cluster fermentation and aging mainly in old 600-liter foudres.
The result is a stunningly pure Chateauneuf of the highest order.
Livingstone-Learmonth, who gives this his very highest 5-star rating, says:
Full red robe; the nose accentuates ripe berry fruits, cooked plums, prunes, fruit gums with a hint of iodine, a note of clarity attached. It’s an elegant opening. The palate revolves around a bonny wave of aromatic red fruits, has a gourmand, tasty aspect with a thread of sweetness into its rounded finale, the tannins barely noticeable such is the velvet in them. This has the domaine’s signature of refinement, and its content is well shaped, continuous, the aftertaste perfumed. The hand made feel only adds to its appeal. Serve in a large glass to fully appreciate its aromatic qualities. 14.5°.
We are the only US store to have this truly great Chateauneuf, and at the incredibly low price of only $39.99 for 2 or more. (Even the bottle price of $49.99 is a steal now for Chateauneuf-du-Pape of this magnitude (and with such a top score). But giving the discount only on 2-bottle purchases allows us to protect the estate and our supplier: as there’s no way this should be only $39.99!
This is BY FAR the best value for a 2019 Chateauneuf that received Livingstone-Learmonth’s top rating.