2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenache de Pierre
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Tasting notes
Drawn from old-vine Grenache in the sandy soils of Pignan, Charbonnière and Mourre de Gaud, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Grenaches de Pierre features veritable bushels of black cherries, plus complex notes of garrigue and pine needles. Ripe, full-bodied and supple, with an almost creamy texture and ample freshness on the long finish, this is a very impressive effort.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Pale ruby-colored. The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Grenaches de Pierre is entirely Grenache-based. It reveals pungent aromas of raspberry liqueur, cranberry, wild strawberry, licorice, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied and layered, the tannins are more refined compared to the Tradition and Les Galimardes, undermining the wine’s impeccable balance. It ends with a long finish and should provide ample drinking pleasure over the next 20 years.
The star of the show in 2020 is the 2020 Châteauneuf du Pape Grenaches De Pierre, a 100% Grenache cuvée from the Pignan and La Crau lieu-dits. One of the top wines in the vintage, it sports a translucent ruby/purple color as well as incredible aromatics of cassis, black raspberries, white truffle, flowery incense, and hints of bouquet garni. With full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a long finish, it already offers pleasure today yet will benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep through 2035 or so. It's one of those wines that brings richness and intensity yet with elegance and finesse. One of my favorite estates in Châteauneuf du Pape is unquestionably Domaine Giraud, and the team of Marie and François Giraud have turned out brilliant wines in every vintage I’ve tasted from them. In addition to their three Châteauneuf du Papes (classic, Gallimardes, and Grenache de Pierre), they also produce a terrific Vin de France based on Syrah and Mourvedre, and a fabulous Lirac that comes from sandier soils and is largely Grenache with 20% each of Syrah and Mourvedre. The 2020s here epitomize the pretty, balanced, elegant style of the vintage, and the 2021 from barrel should certainly be an outstanding wine.