From the same vineyard, and made in the same uncompromising and old-fashioned style as, the $2000-plus Chateau Rayas. And in 2021 with the same stellar score!
Gilman says:
The parcel of la Guigasse has even older grenache vines than those that go into the Le Grand Pin bottling at Chapelle Saint Theodoric, with these vines ranging from age fifty-three to more than one hundred years-old! The wine is raised in entirely the same manner as the Le Grand Pin bottling, with one hundred percent whole clusters, native yeasts and aging in neutral, large oak casks. The wine also tips the scales at 14.5 percent octane in 2021 and offers up a deep and slightly more black fruity bouquet than what is found in the 2021 Le Grand Pin, as the aromatic constellation here is composed of red and black raspberries, fruitcake, hung game, pepper, garrigue, bonfire, sweet stem tones, a superb base of soil and a touch of balsam bough in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, tangy and complex, with a rock solid core of old vine fruit, superb soil signature and grip, firm, buried tannins, excellent focus and balance and a very, very long, classic finish. This is going to be brilliant Châteauneuf du Pape once it is ready to drink! 2035-2080.
And the Wine Advocate:
On the nose, intriguing spice, herbal and savory notes provide a compelling counterpoint to the cherry and raspberry fruit, while the medium to full-bodied palate is concentrated and rather sappy, finishing bright, fresh and long. The wine of the vintage?
