2022 Chateauneuf du Pape

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape is a great example of the vintage and has a pretty, perfumed, incredibly Provençal style in its red fruits, savory garrigue, spice, and peppery aromas and flavors. With medium-bodied richness, a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, and ripe tannins, it already offers pleasure today, yet given its balance and the quality of its tannins, it will shine for 10-15 years if well stored. The blend is 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 7% Syrah, and 3% Cinsault, which was vinified all in concrete and brought up almost entirely in concrete tanks. There's no Vieilles Vignes in the vintage due to both hail and tiny yields from the drought, so I suspect this cuvée benefited from the inclusion of some truly great fruit that would normally go into the Vieilles Vignes release. It’s one of the finest classic cuvées I can recall and should be on the no-brainer purchase list.

This year, Sophie Armenier produced only one cuvée, incorporating the old vines into this blend. However, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine de Marcoux reveals a deep, complex bouquet of spices, chocolate, dark wild berries and garrigue complemented by delicate notes of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, round and concentrated, it's rich without being heavy and framed by a fleshy core of fruit, a sweet, enveloping mid-palate and concludes with a long, saline finish. Considering the challenges of the vintage, particularly the significant downy mildew in the vineyard that affects the yield, this wine is a great success. Kudos! This is a blend of 85% Grenache Noir and the rest a mix of Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault, all matured in a combination of foudres, concrete tanks, barrels and amphorae.

70% Roussanne, 30% Bourboulenc. Vinified and aged for nine months in demi-muids (40%) and stainless-steel tanks (60%). Certified organic. Tasted blind. Spiced pears on the nose, with a golden tinge. An unctuous and mouth-coating richness, with a core of freshness beneath – honeycomb, beeswax and pear. Textured and polished, with good concentration of ripe, rich, honeyed fruit. (AC)