2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenache de Pierre

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Grenaches De Pierre is a step up and has a wonderfully fresh, pure character as well as full-bodied aromas and flavors of black raspberries, morello cherries, new leather, herbes de Provence, and loamy earth. Pure, perfumed, and already complex, with incredible elegance, it's another gorgeous wine from this estate that can be enjoyed any time over the coming 15 to 20 years. One of my favorite estates in the world (and I put my money where my mouth is), Domaine Giraud has been impeccably run since 2001 by Marie Giraud, with consulting advice from Philippe Cambie. The style here is a mix of traditional and progressive winemaking, with the Grenache almost always brought up in tank and the Syrah in barrel. The Les Gallimardes cuvée comes from a tiny parcel of very old vines in the southern part of the appellation, and it’s always a more classic, Provençal, sexy wine. The Les Grenaches de Pierre comes from more sandy soils, and it’s always slightly more refined and elegant, yet it rarely, if ever, lacks for richness and depth. In addition to the terrific reds, the whites from this address are consistently outstanding.

Glistening ruby. An assertively perfumed bouquet evokes black raspberry, cherry compote, potpourri and exotic spices, and a smoky mineral flourish builds in the glass. Sweet, palate-staining red and dark berry liqueur, lavender and fruitcake flavors show outstanding depth as well as energy thanks to an undercurrent of juicy acidity. Blends power and finesse with a deft hand and finishes extremely long, sappy and pure, with polished tannins emerging slowly.