2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges comes all from the Les Saintes Vierges lieu-dit and is based on 80% Grenache and 10% each of Mourvedre and Counoise. It was partially destemmed and brought up mostly in foudre with 10% in clay jars. Wild strawberries, darker berries, violets, and an incredible floral, almost tropical nuance on the nose gives way to a medium-bodied, elegant, vibrant effort with a sappy green edge in its tannins that avoids being astringent or off-putting. This fresh, elegant, perfumed beauty will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and drink nicely for a decade. While located in Gigondas, Domaine Santa Duc, now under the helm of Benjamin Gras, releases a bevy of outstanding Châteauneuf du Pape that are based on different terroirs in the appellation. The wines see a touch of whole cluster fermentation and the aging is primarily in foudre, with some of the wines seeing clay jars aging as well. These show vibrant, fresh, almost crunchy profiles that I suspect will benefit from a handful of years in the cellar.