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!
The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Pure Roussanne enters the stage with ripe pear, yellow apple, spring blossom and herbal tea. Round and refreshing, it offers a juicy fruit core and concludes with excellent focus on the sapid finale.
This rich dry white Chateauneuf has tremendous textural complexity and a wealth of Asian pear, melon and ripe citrus character on the full-bodied palate. Terrific concentration and drive on the long, very focused palate. From biodynamically grown grapes. Fermented and matured in demi-muids and Stockinger foudres. Drink or hold.
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.