Josh Raynolds just published his report on 2013 , 2014 and few 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape for 150 producers and few hundreds of Cuvées. We have a honored position with 3 wines in the top 8 of his report .
This makes us “again more” responsible of our work by just seeing the names around. We are present once a week in the propriety, Rotem or myself , vineyard tour and tasting. We take a lot of risk here: our wines are aged with all their lees, White and Red , OMNIA and MAGIS for 24 Months , ARIOSO 36 Months and PETIT LIVRE 60 Months or more .WITHOUT ANY RACKING.
Remember we don’t have the PH Of Burgundy in south and the Brett pressure is there. But when we see the feedback from our clients and friends, and from few Professional Critics like M. Raynolds here, this gives us power to continue.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reds: The Flamboyant 2014s and the Structured 2013s
April 2016 by Josh Raynolds
1- 2010 Domaine du Pegau
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Inspiration
Saturated ruby. Ripe, mineral-accented black raspberry, smoked game, candied flowers, garrigue and incense on the intensely perfumed nose. Velvety, sweet and concentrated; deep-pitched, iron-accented flavors of red and dark berry liqueur, candied lavender and fresh game are supported by a spine of juicy acidity. The marriage of richness to vivacity here is remarkable. Broad, fine-grained tannins build slowly and add shape to a strikingly long, vibrant, sharply focused finish that echoes the dark berry and floral notes emphatically and pretty much endlessly. This one-time bottling, which looks like a love child of Châteauneuf and Bonnes-Mares, was only produced in magnums.
— Josh Raynolds 97 Josh Raynolds 2020 – 2030 $2,400.00 Apr 2016
2- 2010 Rotem & Mounir Saouma
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Petit Livre Bach
(still in demi-muids and scheduled to be bottled this spring): Vivid ruby-red. Deep, lush and fragrant on the nose, displaying powerful, mineral-accented scents of black raspberry, boysenberry and lavender. Smooth and sweet in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated red and blue fruit preserve flavors and a hint of candied flowers; juicy acidity adds lift and focus. Sweet and ridiculously long on the finish, which features supple tannins and unrelenting floral and mineral character.
— Josh Raynolds (95-96)
3- 2015 Domaine du Pegau
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Da Capo
Inky ruby. Powerful, mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and blue fruit liqueur, incense, licorice and olive carry a smoky mineral overtone. Chewy, tightly focused raspberry and blueberry flavors show a refreshingly spicy edge and become smokier and spicier with air. Distinctly rich but possesses excellent and surprising vivacity thanks to its bright core of minerality. Finishes sappy and extremely long, featuring mounting tannins and a lingering floral note.
— Josh Raynolds (94-96) Josh Raynolds Not Available Apr 2016
4- 2013 Château de Beaucastel
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin
Dark purple. Ripe cherry, dark berry liqueur and candied licorice on the deeply perfumed nose, lifted by a smoky mineral quality. Broad, sweet and seamless on the palate, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and a subtle touch of dark chocolate. Shows superb energy and focus on the finish, which is given shape by slow-building tannins and sharpened by a jolt of juicy acidity. The interplay of power and finesse is quite impressive.
— Josh Raynolds 95 Josh Raynolds 2022 – 2030 Not Available Apr 2016
5- 2012 Rotem & Mounir Saouma
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Arioso
Dark ruby. A highly complex, spice-accented bouquet evokes blueberry and cherry preserves, incense and smoky Indian spices, and a bright mineral quality adds lift. Completely stains the palate with sappy, sharply delineated red and blue fruit liqueur flavors complemented by suave floral and allspice notes. Shows outstanding energy and thrust on a remarkably long, floral finish framed by subtle, fine-grained tannins.
— Josh Raynolds 95 2021 – 2028
6- 2015 Clos du Mont-Olivet
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Papet
Deep, vivid ruby. Bright and energetic on the nose, displaying intense red fruit liqueur, Asian spice and candied lavender qualities and a smoky mineral overtone. Juicy and precise, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors that show excellent depth and seamless texture. Closes sappy, floral and extremely long, with subtle tannins lending shape. There’s 15.5% alcohol here but I didn’t notice it.
— Josh Raynolds (93-96)
7- 2014 Domaine Charvin
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Brilliant ruby-red. Powerful raspberry, floral pastille and Asian spice aromas show outstanding clarity and vivacity. Energetic flavors of red fruit preserves and lavender are given spine and definition by zesty minerality. The floral and red fruit notes carry strongly through a clinging, sharply focused finish framed by smooth, slow-building tannins. This wine is shaping up to be a classic Charvin rendition of Châteauneuf, displaying abundant upfront fruit along with the depth and balance to ensure a long, graceful evolution.
— Josh Raynolds (94-95) Josh Raynolds Not Available Apr 2016
8- 2014 Rotem & Mounir Saouma
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Omnia
Opaque ruby. A sexy, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh blue fruits, Asian spices, smoky minerals and candied flowers. Sappy, expansive and pure on the palate, offering impressively concentrated black raspberry and boysenberry flavors that become livelier and sweeter with air. Ripe and broad yet lithe on the tenacious finish, which displays sneaky tannins and repeating blue fruit and floral flavors.
— Josh Raynolds (93-96)
18- 2013 Rotem & Mounir Saouma
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Arioso
(scheduled to be bottled this September): Brilliant ruby. High-pitched, mineral-tinged aromas of fresh dark berries and pungent flowers show outstanding clarity and lift. Smooth, sweet and energetic on the palate, offering intense blackberry and floral pastille flavors sharpened by an exotic Asian spice flourish. The extremely long, focused finish is given shape by smooth tannins that sneak in slowly.
— Josh Raynolds (93-95) Josh Raynolds.
