2015 Clos Saint Antonin Chateauneuf du Pape
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Tasting notes
Coming from sandy portions of the la Crau and Font de Loup lieux-dits, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is 100% Grenache brought up in foudre and demi-muid. Its medium ruby color is followed by an exceedingly elegant, silky 2015 that has notes of framboise, rose petals, orange peel and spice. Medium to full-bodied, silky, refined and incredibly elegant, with fine tannin, it's a gorgeous drink to enjoy over the coming decade. Like the elegant, finesse-driven style of Rayas? Buy this wine. This relatively new estate was created by Isabelle and Christophe Sabon, from Domaine de la Janasse, and is located in the Plan de Dieu. They made a terrific white based on Chardonnay and Clairette as well as three reds; a Côtes du Rhône, Plan de Dieu and a Châteauneuf du Pape. The quality is top notch and this estate is a hidden gem for the moment. Don’t expect it to stay that way for long.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The gem of the collection is the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape. Selected from two lots that used to go into Domaine de la Janasse's bottling, this is redolent of ripe berries and stone fruit, with a lush, silky, nearly weightless feel on the palate. It's a lovely example of the delicate, elegant style of Grenache increasingly being produced from Châteauneuf's sandy soils. Aged in a combination of concrete vats and foudres, it should drink well for 10 years or more.
(aged entirely in foudres ) Lurid ruby. Highly expressive cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by floral and Asian spice nuances. Sappy, sweet and expansive on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering juicy, densely packed red and blue fruit flavors that turn sweeter and more lively as the wine opens up. Shows a subtle lavender pastille quality on the persistent, penetrating finish, which is framed by smooth, harmonious tannins.
100% Grenache. Whole bunch. Élevage in a mix of foudre, demi-muid and used barrels. Tasted blind. Bright crimson with a pale rim. Vaguely sweet but not at all intense nose. Just like a liqueur it’s so dense and alcoholic! Not very appetising and the finish then picks up and energises the palate. (JR)