CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE THE DIFFICULT 2013 & 2014 VINTAGES

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1 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE THE DIFFICULT 2013 & 2014 VINTAGES Jeb Dunnuck Wine Advocate #221, October 30, CLOS ST-JEAN CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES (-92) The only special cuvée produced in the vintage, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes offers more kirsch and black raspberry notes than the classic cuvée, and a slightly riper, richer style. Beautifully textured, nicely concentrated and with no hard edges, it has tons of Provençal charm and will drink nicely right out of the gate CLOS ST-JEAN CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES A gorgeous drinker that gives up lots of black cherry, lavender, peppery spice and Provençal notes to go with a medium to 92 full-bodied, elegant and layered feel on the palate. Like all of this estate s wines, the tannin quality is top notch and while not a massive wine, it excels on its silky texture, beautiful fruit and outstanding finish PLATEAU DES CHÊNES LIRAC (89-) It offers lots of dusty pepper and sandy loam nuances as well as pretty raspberry, licorice, dried flowers and spice. Mediumbodied, moderately concentrated and more elegant than powerful or rich, it has silky tannin and an already hard to resist style PLATEAU DES CHÊNES LIRAC LE TEMPS (92-94) Notes of crème de cassis, toasted spice, creamy raspberry and licorice all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, elegant, silky and downright sexy Lirac that doesn t put a foot wrong. A candidate for the wine of the appellation. europeancellars.com [email protected]

2 2014 GIRAUD CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LES GALLIMARDES BLANC I ve always loved the white from Marie Giraud, and her 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape les Gallimardes Blanc offers classic 92 notes of pear, white peach, citrus rind and salty minerality on the nose. Medium-bodied, fresh and crisp, yet still with solid texture, it is high class stuff GIRAUD CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE TRADITION (89-) The lighter ruby colored 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Tradition is a pretty, perfumed and forward wine that makes the most of the vintage. Offering up lots of raspberry, black raspberry, strawberry and hints of garrigue, it s all about pretty, supple, sexy fruit GIRAUD CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LES GRENACHES DE PIERRE (-) The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape les Grenaches de Pierre has a medium to full-bodied, silky and seamless feel to go with lots of floral and raspberry characteristics on the nose. One of the more forward and pretty examples of this cuvée, it has terrific purity and sweetness of tannin JANASSE CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE BLANC A white that savvy readers should buy by the case is the 2014 Côtes du Rhône Blanc, it offers up terrific notes of honeyed peach, melon and apple blossom in a medium-bodied, textured, yet elegant style. It s a killer value I d happily drink anytime JANASSE CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE VILLAGES TERRE D ARGILE (89-) From the same terroir as the les Garrigues cuvée, the 2014 Côtes du Rhône Village Terre d Argile should be a superb value. Possessing more dark fruit and earthiness than the les Garrigues cuvée, it has a similar level of concentration, medium to full-bodied richness and an outstanding finish JANASSE CÔTES-DU-RHÔNE LES GARRIGUES (-92) Its vibrant purple color is followed by an elegant, medium to full-bodied wine that has classic black raspberry and berry fruit, spring flowers, licorice and a saline like minerality. It should easily be an outstanding wine, and truthfully, has plenty of similarities to the cuvée Chaupin.

3 2014 JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC CUVÉE PRESTIGE A profound effort that rivals Beaucastel s old vine Roussanne cuvée for the top white in the appellation, 95 it reveals a medium gold color to go with lots of citrus oil, buttered peach, pineapple and mint. Full-bodied, layered, incredibly pure and clean, with a chiseled feel on the palate 2014 JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC The Sabons 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is one of the whites of the vintage. it offers killer notes of salted melon, ripe peach, pineapple and hints of salty minerality to go with a medium to full-bodied, layered and seamlessly textured style on the palate. If you love southern Rhône whites (and I do), don t miss this! 2014 JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (-92) The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape is another polished, elegant and impeccably made wine from this top estate. Loaded with fruit, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and with fine tannin, it will certainly be approachable on release, yet I suspect it will evolve for a decade or more on its balance and purity JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE A great wine - from a difficult vintage - that shows the talent and hard work of this brother/sister pair, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape reveals a healthy ruby/purple color to go with perfumed notes of black and red raspberry, pepper, licorice and violets. Medium plus in body and elegant, with gorgeous purity and fine tannin JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CHAUPIN (92-94) One of the more charming, sexy and approachable versions of this cuvée, the 2014 Chaupin has beautiful ripeness and density to go with the classic perfumed, floral and sweetly fruited profile that this cuvée almost always shows. I always find an almost essence of Grenache character with this cuvée, and the 2014 is no exception JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CHAUPIN It has gorgeous Grenache flair in its black raspberry, garrigue, spring flower and licorice scented bouquet. This gives way to a medium to full-bodied, elegant, and layered 2013 that has more texture and sweet fruit than just about every other wine in the vintage JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES (92-94) 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes has terrific purity as well as classic notes of black raspberries, Provençal spice, licorice and leather. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, it offers tons of charm and I suspect it will drink nicely right on release JANASSE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VIEILLES VIGNES Exhibiting a deep purple color, it offers fabulous dark berry fruits, licorice, Provençal herbs and earthy/stony minerality on 94 the nose. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, ripe and with impressive sweetness to its tannin, it s a fabulous wine europeancellars.com [email protected]

4 P L AC E OV E R P R O C E S S ( 89- ) 2014 MARCOUX CHÂTEAUNEUF- DU -PAPE BLANC I continue to love the white from these two sisters (I don t think I ve tasted a disappointing wine from them), and the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc is about as classic as they come. Offering up plenty of melon, cured ham, citrus and hints of salty minerality, it s medium-bodied, beautifully textured and focused on the palate MARCOUX CHÂTEAUNEUF- DU -PAPE Moving to the reds, there will be no Vieilles Vignes cuvée in 2014, and the classic 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape offers pretty Provençal and layered notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, baking spices and dried flowers. Medium-bodied, elegant and seamless, it shows the charming, forward nature of the vintage nicely and will be ready to go on release MARCOUX CHÂTEAUNEUF- DU -PAPE This estate produced a charming, classic 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape that has tons of character and will drink nicely for upwards of a decade. Possessing lots of black raspberry, blackberry, wild strawberry and peppery herb aromas and flavors, this beauty has medium-bodied richness and depth, solid mid-palate concentration and a great finish.

5 2014 ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RENAISSANCE BLANC Aged eight months in oak tanks, it gains depth and richness with time in the glass, showing plenty of white peach, spiced apple and green citrus in its medium plus-bodied, balanced, saliva-inducing style on the palate. It will evolve nicely for 4-5 years, and my money s on it holding for quite some time after that as well ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RESERVÉE (-92) It has beautiful black raspberry fruit as well as Provençal notes of garrigue, violets, licorice and hints of flowers. Mediumbodied with ripe tannin, good concentration (especially in the vintage) and a great finish, it s a hidden gem in the vintage that savvy readers should snatch up ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE RESERVÉE The 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Reservee is medium-bodied and charming, with lots of Grenache character in its damp underbrush, wild herb, blackcurrant and licorice-laced black raspberry fruit. Like all of the cuvées here, its tannins are ripe and polished, it s balanced and has tons to like ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE PRESTIGE (92-94) Black raspberries, spring flowers, licorice and distinct minerality all flow beautifully to a medium to full-bodied, beautifully polished and elegant Châteauneuf du Pape that just screams drink me! It will impress for a decade or more ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE PRESTIGE The 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee Prestige offers a bigger, sweeter, and richer core of fruit to go with medium to full-bodied depth and concentration on the palate. Peppery, Provençal and garrigue-laced, this beautiful 2013 has terrific tannin quality and a great finish. It can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LE SECRET DES SABON (92-95) The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape le Secret de Sabon will be a candidate for the wine of the vintage. It has soaring aromatics of kirsch, peppery spice, crushed flowers and underbrush to go with a medium to full-bodied, ripe, exuberant and sexy style on the palate. Very few wines in the vintage deliver this level of hedonistic pleasure ROGER SABON CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE LE SECRET DES SABON The Sabons were one of the few estates to release their top cuvée in the vintage, and their 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape le Secret 94 de Sabons will be one of the top two to three wines made that year. It reveals a deep ruby color as well as classic southern Rhône notes of kirsch, blackberries, toasted spice and dried garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, pretty, seamless and lengthy. europeancellars.com [email protected]

6 2014 CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC Offering up notes of fresh pineapple, white peach, brioche and honeysuckle, drink this medium-bodied, nicely textured and classic southern Rhône white over the coming 4-5 years CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE BLANC CLOS BELVEDERE The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc Clos de Bélvédère has pretty notes of citrus blossom, leafy herbs and apple peel to go with a medium-bodied, fresh, lively and racy style on the palate. Made from 100% Grenache Blanc that was brought up most in barrel CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE (89-) The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape should be outstanding. Framboise, black raspberry, cherry and spice all emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant and polished It has a touch of firm tannin, but I suspect these will integrate by this time next year. It s a charming wine to drink in its first five to seven years CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE The classic 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape has a deep ruby/purple color to go with lots of cassis, wild strawberry, crushed violets and Provençal herbs. Medium-bodied, supple, elegant and finesse-styled, drink it over the coming five to eight years CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VAL DE DIEU (92-94) The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Val de Dieu offers up ample black raspberry, melted licorice, spice and Provençal herbs. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and with impressive tannin quality, this beauty should drink nicely on release and have years or more of overall longevity CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE VAL DE DIEU Loaded with notions of cassis, orange liqueur, chocolate and toasted bread, it s medium to full-bodied, has tons of sweet fruit and ultra-fine tannin. It lacks that extra dimension of a top vintage, but I d happily drink this beauty anytime over the coming decade CHATEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE L AVENUE (92-94) The 2014 l Avenue is an incredible effort that might just be up with the top four to five wines in the vintage. It boasts a medium ruby/purple color to go with notes of crème de cassis, raspberry, crushed violets and sweet spice. Forward, sexy, seamless and medium to full-bodied, it has no hard edges, building fine tannin and a great finish.