2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure
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Tasting notes
I last reviewed this wine from foudre, so here's an update now that it has been in bottle. The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure is all Grenache from a single sandy parcel at the junction of three lieux-dits (le Grand Pierre, le Pointu and le Rayas). Vinified in concrete and aged in foudre, there are initial hints of struck match and crushed stone on the nose, followed by intense blackberry and black cherry fruit and subtle nuances of garrigue and rose petals. Full-bodied, dense and velvety in feel, it finishes long, marked by pronounced acids, which should serve the wine well as it ages over the next two decades. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
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Alistair Cooper MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
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Winemaker Julien Barrot is making a much more elegant rendition of single varietal Grenache Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure, compared to the 2005 vintage of this cuvée with its otherworldly complexity and intensity. The 2020 vintage opens up with enticing aromas of crushed violets, blood orange, raspberry, forest strawberry, black cherry, dried herbs, mint and licorice. Showing absolutely no hard edges, plush tannins envelop the palate of this full-bodied red impeccably well balanced by lively acids. The taster is left with a bold finish that goes on for well over a minute. Only 4,500 bottles produced.
The tiny production 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pure is all Grenache brought up in a single foudre. It's slightly lighter-hued than the base cuvée (which is normal) and offers a heavenly perfume of black cherries, kirsch liqueur, roasted garrigue, Asian spices, licorice, and graphite. This carries to a full-bodied Châteauneuf du Pape revealing remarkable elegance and purity, ultra-fine tannins, perfect balance, and a great, great finish. I'm not sure it has the same level of grandeur as the 2019, but it’s not far off, and time will tell. Regardless, this beauty has everything you could want in a great wine: richness, power, elegance, and complexity. It's a true “Wow” wine in every regard and will shine for 15-20 years.