2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Signature

The 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the young Julien Barrot is a perfumed, elegant release that's loaded with notions of currants, kirsch, licorice, and spice. It's silky, elegant, ethereally textured and long, with the freshness and classic style of the vintage. As usual, the classic cuvée is a blend of roughly 60% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre and the balance Clairette Rose, Cinsault, Syrah, and Vaccarèse, fermented all in concrete tanks and aged mostly in foudre. 2,500 cases. One of my favorite estate out there is Domaine la Barroche from the young Julien Barrot. He’s just completed work on a new cellar located in the village of Châteauneuf du Pape and has produced two beautiful 2015s. I’ll report on his 2016s next year.

(fermented in concrete eggs and aged in foudres and stainless steel tanks) Vivid ruby. Highly expressive cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by energetic floral and Asian spice nuances. Sappy, sweet and broad in the mouth, offering juicy, densely packed red and dark berry flavors that become deeper as the wine open up. Stains the palate and shows impressive vivacity on the persistent, floral-dominated finish, which is framed by silky, harmonious tannins.