2018 Chateauneuf du Pape
Buying options
Tasting notes
A tiny property, for many years Font de Courtedune sold its fruit to the local co-op. Its vineyards, however, are right next door to Château Rayas, one of the region’s most lauded names. Working with sandy soils and old vines, brother and sister Frédéric and Caroline Charrier craft wines that compete at a level far beyond their price-point. They do as little as possible in the winery, working almost exclusively with Grenache to make serious expressions of the grape at its best. Given the necessary time in the cellar and glass, these wines offer perfume, power and elegance – a style that is extremely similar to Château des Tours. The 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Courtedune is light in colour compared to its peers in this vintage, but concentrated for the estate. The old vines benefited from the great summer conditions to deliver a highly opulent and expressive wine. The aromas leap from the glass, with aromas of ripe black berries, sweet cherry, kirsch and roasted green herbs. On the palate the flavours intensify, with the addition of savoury spice. It has the characteristic sweet fruit of 100% old-vine Grenache on sandy soils, finishing with notes of fresh blood-orange peel. The tannins are ripe and already silky, elegant yet rounded, to deliver a generous mouth-feel. This is a stunning example of this cuvée, a real benchmark for the years to come. It will be approachable in a year or two, but will benefit from five years’ cellaring to deliver its full potential.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Josh Raynolds
More reviews and scores
Limpid ruby. Displays scents of red berry liqueur, potpourri and smoky minerals that are complemented by building spice and licorice accents. Seamless and energetic on the palate, offering juicy raspberry and cherry flavors that firm up slowly on the back half. Finishes long and vaguely jammy, with resonating red fruit character and velvety tannins that make a late appearance.
Almost all Grenache (there’s 1% Mourvèdre) that was not destemmed and was brought up all in concrete, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape offers an old school nose of smoked red and black fruits, sappy garrigue, black pepper, and gamey nuances. The stems are front and center yet are balanced beautifully by pure fruit, and the wine is medium to full-bodied and balanced, with a bright spine of acidity, and a great finish. It’s going to be even better with 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise for a decade. Lovers of stemmy, old school, yet clean and impeccably made Châteauneuf will love this.
With scents of cherries, tack room and licorice, the nose of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape sparks a pleasant flashback to Rhône wines of yore. In the mouth, it's medium-bodied and silky, a bit less generous than expected, being tight and focused, with a crisp but lingering finish. In the context of the past two vintages, it's a bit of a letdown, but still very enjoyable, with a decade of more of potential longevity.
About the producer
Domaine Font de Courtedune – for now, at least – is something of an insider’s secret. With vineyards right next door to Ch. Rayas, and sharing the same sandy soils, this tiny Châteauneuf-du-Pape estate produces outstanding wines that are a fraction of the price of those of its famous neighbour.
Product details
Grenache/ Garnacha, Syrah / Shiraz, Mourvedre/Monastrell/Mataro
Red
Dry