2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure Roussanne
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Tasting notes
The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure Roussane—all barrel fermented and aged eight months in new oak—features hints of toast and pencil shavings against a backdrop of white peach, melon and citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it's nicely balanced, with just-right plumpness on the palate, well-judged oak and a long, lingering finish. Tasted blind, I called the drinking window at 2021–2024, but I have updated it to better reflect my experience with the older vintages at the domaine. It might still be conservative.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
100% Roussanne. Cool, crisp, not a blockbuster in style but there is great purity and refinement here. Mineral edge. Plenty of acidity, stone fruits – baked apricot and peach. Subtle oak. A very fine Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Drinking well already but will certainly improve with more ageing. Brooding, mineral notes on the nose. Lots of spice on the finish. (AWH)
Even better, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pure Roussanne (100% Roussanne) offers a vibrant, clean, medium to full-bodied style with a kiss of background oak as well as classy notes of dried pineapple, honeyed pears, sappy herbs, spice, and a touch of minerality. Just about perfectly balanced, with integrated acidity and one heck of a great finish, this is a great, fresher, incredibly elegant example of Roussanne that will benefit from a year in bottle and, I suspect, have 15-20 of overall longevity if stored properly.
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