The reserve has a beautiful black robe with violet reflections. We discover a licorice nose, blueberry jam and wild myrtle associated with mocha.
The mouth is ample, silky on black fruit, tobacco spices and powerful cloves. Final notes of cocoa bean.
Southern Rhone's landmark region, Chateauneuf du Pape, was the first region to gain AC status in France. That was the 1920s – it's history goes much further back than that. As the name suggests, the wine region was named after a the "new papal home," referring to the period of time in the 1300's when the popes resided in Avignon instead of Rome.
Notable Facts:
There are 13 allowed varieties in Chateauneuf du Pape (14 if you count Grenache Blanc separately from Grenache Noir). Grenache is the primary variety, followed by Syrah and Mourvedre as well as Cinsault. About 97% of the wines here are red, although many chateaux are producing whites ranging from quaffable to decadent and ageworthy. Reds from the best estates emit wonderful flavors of gamey spice, blackberries and currant, as well as the herbs and spices that are known to grow in the region. Note on the soil: The grapes grow on soils covered in rounded, smooth stones called galets (gah-lay). The stones naturally cover most of the soils throughout Chateauneuf du Pape and are two fold in their duties. First, they are able to reflect and absorb the heat, to quicken the ripening of the grapes. They also help to hold in moisture so that the soils are not dried out by the hot Southern French sun.
About France - Rhône:
Photo from the Cornas vineyards of Jean-Luc Colombo overlooking the Rhne river The Rhne is separated into two parts, the Northern Rhne and the Southern Rhne. The two are vastly different. The Northern Rhne is steep and cool while the Southern Rhne is flat and hot.
Northern Rhne stretches from Vienne to Valence and contains the regions of Cte-Rotie, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, Condrieu, Chteau Grillet, St.-Joseph & St.-Peray. The red wines are easy to remember – they are all made from Syrah. The one and only red grape of the region. Whites are typically Viognier, although some Marsanne & Roussanne can be added in certain regions.
Southern Rhne is about 60 miles south of the Northern Rhne and there are almost no vineyards in-between. The Southern Rhne area contains the appellations of Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Gigondas, Vacqueras, and the best known, the Ctes-du-Rhne. While Syrah is the main, and only, player in the North, the South has a slew of red varieties to use. 23 grapes (white and red) in all. Grenache is usually the primary grape in the blend, followed by Mourvdre, Syrah and Cinsault.
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