2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure Roussanne
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Tasting notes
It's great to taste the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pure Roussanne beside the Pure Clairette. You get a real sense of the difference in these two varieties, with the Clairette providing a more focused, mineral-laced style and the Roussanne showing more richness and breadth. Medium gold-hued, with a powerful nose of honeyed orchard fruits, flower oil, orange blossom, and exotic spices, this beauty hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a great finish. While Clairette is the shiny new toy for Rhône lovers out there, this shows that readers shouldn't skimp on seeking out the more Roussanne-dominated cuvées.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
100% Roussanne. Aged for 8 months, 60% in foudres and 40% in new barriques. Certified organic and biodynamic. Tasted blind. Beautiful nose! With ripe apple and almond, the palate is packed full of fresh acidity and very well-judged oak. Saline and fine, it has a ripeness and freshness that is supremely balanced. Such precision on the palate. A wine that will age beautifully – bravo!
100% Roussanne. Aged for 8 months, 60% in foudres and 40% in new barriques. Certified organic and biodynamic. Tasted blind. Beautiful nose! With ripe apple and almond, the palate is packed full of fresh acidity and very well-judged oak. Saline and fine, it has a ripeness and freshness that is supremely balanced. Such precision on the palate. A wine that will age beautifully – bravo! (AC)
Exclusively crafted from Roussanne planted in equal parts of sandy and pebble soils, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne is an outstanding wine in the making. Matured for eight months in wooden tanks (60%) and new barrels (40%), the oak is barely noticeable and complemented by a delicate, deep bouquet of blanched almonds, pear, white peach, spices and honeysuckle. Full-bodied, enrobing and rich, it's perfectly balanced with a fleshy, rich core of fruit and a long, delicate, endless finish. This is yet another outstanding white wine from this estate. It will undoubtedly improve with 2-4 years of cellaring and has the potential to age gracefully for a decade.
About the producer
Domaine Raymond Usseglio is one of the leading producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, producing a number of different red and white cuvées from the appellation. The domaine’s most famous wine is their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Impériale, which comes exclusively from vines that are over 100 years old.
Product details
Clairette, Grenache Blanc / Garnacha Blanca, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Marsanne
White
Dry