2019 Chateauneuf du Pape
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Tasting notes
Vignon's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape delivers even more than I hoped for based on a previous sample. Hints of garrigue, roses, cherries and raspberries appear on the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, silky and long, with an intense, almost briny finish. The assemblage is 50% Grenache, 10% each Mourvèdre and Syrah, plus smaller proportions of seven other permitted varieties, while the élevage includes foudres, demi-muids, concrete and wooden tanks, plus terracotta amphorae.
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Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Clairette. Aged for 16 months in a mixture of foudre (20%), demi-muid (5%), stainless steel (50%) and tronconic vat (5%) and for 12 months in terracotta jar (20%). Cask sample. Tasted blind. Slight volatility and balsamic notes. Tight mouthfeel and some leather character – slight astringency on the end of the palate. Tight. (AC)
Starting off the 2019s, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape (75% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Clairette) was partially destemmed and brought up in a mix of foudre, demi-muids, amphora, and stainless steel. It’s a rock-solid effort and has lots of mulled black cherry and plum fruits, notes of licorice and peppery garrigue, full-bodied richness, and a rounded, beautifully textured style on the palate. I’m a fan and it’s going to evolve gracefully for over a decade.
Hints of asphalt and black olive accent condensed black cherry fruit on the nose of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape XV. It's full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, marked by hints of toasty cedar and framed by ripe tannins that linger on the finish. Tight and compact, it needs time to unwind.
About the producer
Xavier Vignon has become one of the Rhône Valley’s most accomplished winemakers. Despite not owning his own vineyards, Vignon’s experience consulting for over 500 different vignerons in the region has given him incredible access to some of the Rhône’s finest terroirs.