2018 Chateauneuf du Pape

A tiny property, for many years Font de Courtedune sold its fruit to the local co-op. Its vineyards, however, are right next door to Château Rayas, one of the region’s most lauded names. Working with sandy soils and old vines, brother and sister Frédéric and Caroline Charrier craft wines that compete at a level far beyond their price-point. They do as little as possible in the winery, working almost exclusively with Grenache to make serious expressions of the grape at its best. Given the necessary time in the cellar and glass, these wines offer perfume, power and elegance – a style that is extremely similar to Château des Tours. The 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Courtedune is light in colour compared to its peers in this vintage, but concentrated for the estate. The old vines benefited from the great summer conditions to deliver a highly opulent and expressive wine. The aromas leap from the glass, with aromas of ripe black berries, sweet cherry, kirsch and roasted green herbs. On the palate the flavours intensify, with the addition of savoury spice. It has the characteristic sweet fruit of 100% old-vine Grenache on sandy soils, finishing with notes of fresh blood-orange peel. The tannins are ripe and already silky, elegant yet rounded, to deliver a generous mouth-feel. This is a stunning example of this cuvée, a real benchmark for the years to come. It will be approachable in a year or two, but will benefit from five years’ cellaring to deliver its full potential.