Happy Hour Wine Tasting Southern Rhone Wines Featuring Chateauneuf Du Pape, Vacqueyras, Gigondas and more Thursday, August 21st 6pm
"When it came to writing about wine, I did what almost everybody does - faked it"
- Art Buchwald
We’re not faking it here at Wine Watch we actually drink the wines!!
It was just brought to my attention that although we have a nice collection of vintage Chateauneuf Du Pape in the store right now we are lacking in the value section of this category and in newer current release wines.
So, I thought it was time to host a happy Hour Southern Rhone wine tasting featuring new releases from Chateauneuf Du Pape to restock this section of the store.
The Southern Rhone Valley is one of France’s most prized wine regions and at one time one of the most counterfeited wines on the planet! It was here that France’s AOC laws originated, they drew up a set of laws to guarantee the authenticity and the origin of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the rest of France followed.
Join us as we explore the world of Southern Rhone wines tasting through over a dozen wines from Chateauneuf du Pape and some of the other great appellations of this region like Gigondas and Vacqueyras. The fee for this tasting is $75 + tax. For reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
Happy Hour Southern Rhone Wines
Featuring Chateauneuf Du Pape, Vacqueyras, Gigondas and more
Thursday, August 21st
6pm
Twenty One Wines
2023 Domaine Saint-Damien Vacqueyras Selection
Price: $30.00 Your Price: $26.40
The Saurel family of Domaine Saint-Damien has been farming grapes and making wine in the hamlet of Gigondas for several generations now. Currently Joel and son Romain are now at the reigns and with the exception of a few cellar updates they have changed very little, follow the long traditions of their predecessors.
2021 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes
Price: $42.00 Your Price: $36.96 Quantity in Stock: 21
(91 Points) The only cuvée released in 2021, the 2021 Gigondas Vieilles Vignes is a beautiful, elegant red displaying the charming, supple, layered style of the vintage. Offering notes of Provençal herbs, pepper, and spicy red and black fruits, it's medium-bodied, has ripe, integrated tannins, and a great finish. Jeb Dunnuck
2022 Raymond Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Girard
Price: $54.00 Your Price: $47.52
Stéphane Usseglio, son of Raymond, has taken over the domaine in the last few years and he strives to reach the full potential of the family's holdings, some of the best of Châteauneuf. Cuvée Girard is based on Grenache (85%) and is a bold, fruited and spiced red wine.
2022 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf Du Pape Tradition
Price: $69.00 Your Price: $60.72
(94 points) The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape from Bravey is complex and upfront, with spicy, peppery red fruit, loads of garrigue and incense nuances, medium body, a focused, elegant mouthfeel, building tannins, and a great finish. Drink this remarkably Provençal, complex, satisfying 2022 over the coming decade. The 2022 is a normal blend of 85% Grenache, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Bourboulenc, 3% Syrah, and 2% Cinsault, from the La Bertaude, Cabrières, and Maucoil lieux-dits, that was raised all in concrete. Jeb Dunnuck
2022 Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale
Price: $93.00 Your Price: $81.84
(96-98 Points) The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale—tasted as a tank sample—boasts knockout aromas of rose petals, garrigue, ripe cherries and red raspberries. It's full-bodied and tannic, concentrated yet somehow light, airy and refreshing at the same time, with a long, lingering finish. Great stuff from vines more than 100 years old. Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Breakthru Beverage
2021 Domaine de Beaurenard Chateauneuf du Pape
Price: $82.50 Your $72.60
(94 Points) The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape is just as tasty as the Boisrenard special cuvée this vintage, with very similar notes of black raspberries, black olives and garrigue. Perhaps a bit lighter-bodied (still medium to full-bodied), it's a touch creamy on the mid-palate, then adds hints of dark chocolate on the supple, lingering finish. The assemblage here is less Grenache-heavy (65%), with 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and small amounts of other permitted varieties. – JC Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, May 2024
2021 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape
Price: $108.00 Your Price: $95.04
(96 Points) A deep, quite herbal expression, with liquorice and crushed blueberries to the cassis fruit. Full-bodied, powerfully fruited, dense and deep. Really mouthcoating, intense fruit. The tannins are ripe, fine and plentiful, all saturated in blackberry juice on a long finish. Certainly one of the more successful Châteauneufs this year. Will age well. A Mourvèdre-led expression of Beaucastel - it contains more than usual, at least 35% and probably more. Grenache and Cinsault fermented in cement, Syrah and Mourvèdre fermented in foudre. (MW) Decanter, Review Date: 09/2022
2022 Château de Nalys (E. Guigal) Grand Vin Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc
Price: $81.00 Sale $71.28
(99 Points) Made from 40% each of Grenache Blanc and Roussanne and the rest Clairette, brought up all in wood, (2/3 demi-muids and 1/3 barrels, 5% new), the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Grand Vin Blanc is one of – if not the – white of the vintage. White peach, citrus oil, green almonds, brioche, and toasty notes define the aromatics, and it’s full-bodied, with a layered, concentrated yet focused mouthfeel, good acidity (pH 3.4), and a great finish. It's a stunning white from the south that I wish every reader could taste. It will evolve for 15 years or more. One of the most exciting estates today in Châteauneuf du Pape has to be Château de Nalys, which was purchased by the Guigal family in 2017, who installed the talented Ralph Garcin as director and head winemaker. To say the estate has seen a turnaround would be an understatement, and these latest releases are unquestionably up with the finest wines of the vintage. The estate is on the cusp of starting a huge renovation in the cellar, and I have no doubt the best is still to come. Jeb Dunnuck, Review Date: 10/2023
2023 Perrin et Fils Chateauneuf du Pape les Sinards
Price: $54.00 Your Price: $47.52
The other Châteauneuf of the family! For the most part Les Sinards is made from the young vines at Beaucastel and a neighbouring vineyard we farm. Mostly Grenache, this is a classic Châteauneuf du Pape.
2022 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes
Price: $45.00 Your Price: $39.60
(93 Points) "The 2022 Gigondas is gorgeous, bundling intense orange blossom, licorice, ripe strawberry, leafy tones and a touch of graphite on the aromatic composition. Tightly structured by ripe tannins and balanced by a lifting freshness, the full-bodied 2022 requires at least four more years in a cool cellar to mellow. That said, it,s an outstanding Gigondas worth seeking out." Vinous, Date2024-10-16
2022 Famille Perrin Vacqueyras Les Christins, Rhone, France
Price: $30.00 Sale $26.40
Cultivated on the robustly clay and stony soils of the Ouveze valley, Grenache, the grape that forms the heart of this wine, develops power and depth. Its characteristic aromas of chocolate, cherry and fig marry perfectly with those of the Syrah.
Republic National
2023 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Price: $85.50 Your Price: $75.24
A pleasant pale tint with greenish glints. The nose is intense with white peach and grapefruit tones and a touch of blackcurrant. Wonderfully crisp in the mouth and very smooth. A wine that shows a freshness, roundness and fruitiness with a good length and hints of citrus and violet.
2020 Domaine La Boutiniere Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone France
Price: $43.50 Your Price: $38.28
Tasting Notes: Notes of sage and licorice on the nose. A complex palate with red currant, crushed raspberry and berries. The tannins are smooth and the mid-palate offers a singular freshness. Provençal herbs linger on the finish along with nutmeg and ginger.
A blend of 70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Cinsault.
2020 Calvet Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone France
Price: $41.75 Sale $36.74
The 2020 Calvet Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Rhône Valley in France is a full-bodied red wine with a deep ruby color and purple highlights. It has a complex nose offering aromas of black cherry, "garrigue" (a mix of herbs and scrubland), and cinnamon. The palate is well-balanced with a persistent finish, featuring round tannins and notes of crystallized cherry and cinnamon. It's an elegant wine with a rich, spicy finish.
2020 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf du Pape Les Clavelles, Rhone, France
Price: $258.75 Your Price: $227.70
Les Clavelles is a single parcel of Grenache that sits atop Le Crau, the famed plateau of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. After years of careful selection, this plot of loamy sands dotted with large pebbles was identified for its unique ability to express the terroir of Châteauneuf-du-Pape within a single varietal. With a gentle southwest-facing slope, these vines benefit from direct sunlight in the late afternoon and the famed Mistral winds from the North. The grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted before whole clusters are fermented in a wooden tank. Pump-overs and punch-downs occur daily during fermentation to ensure optimal extraction of compounds. Maceration lasts 3-4 weeks before aging for 12 months partly in foudres or large old oak casks and partly in old oak barrels.
Harvest Note: The 2020 vintage had good weather overall. Low rainfall through the year was enough for the soil to build a water reserve and allow the vines to cope with the summer heat wave. Rains at the end of August and end of September slowed the maturity of the grapes. Harvest began in late August. The grapes were generous with a higher quantity than the previous vintage.
Tasting Note: Ruby red with a purple border, this powerful yet elegant wine offers notes of blackcurrant, cherry jam, peony, licorice, and garrigue or Mediterranean herbs. The long finish showcases the elegant fruit character of this unique plot.
Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Granieres de la Nerthe Rhone France
Price: $51.75 Your Price: $45.54
Les Granières de La Nerthe captures the spirit of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with its mosaic of soils and grape varieties. It illustrates the elegance and finesse of wines from Château La Nerthe, the famed property owned by the Richard family. The name originates from the granary, or attic space where the château used to store grains at a time when local agriculture included food production. Made from the estate’s younger vines, this blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault & Mourvèdre expresses a lively and fruit-driven character. The wine is aged in casks and ‘foudres’ or old, large French oak barrels (no new oak is used). Bottling is done earlier than the estate’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge to capture the wine’s marvelous fruit expression and elegant tannins. Enjoy upon release.
Tasting Note: The aromas of cherry and blackcurrant are balanced by sweet spices including cinnamon. The elegant cherry continues on the palate, supported by fine tannins and a long, refreshing finish.
2021 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf Du Pape
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $69.96
Château La Nerthe is one of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and dates from 1560. Château La Nerthe has 227 acres of vineyards that surround the château and top the renowned La Crau plateau. The terroir is typical of the region. Vineyards run along a slope and grow in sandy-clay soils. The ground is covered by a layer of ‘galets’ – large, round, well-worn stones that were carried down from the Alps by glaciers during the last ice age. All the 13 permitted primary varietals are planted here. Grenache dominates 62% of the vineyards and the average vine age is over 40 years old. The grapes are hand harvested and sorted on tables. The grapes are then put into vats for almost 4 weeks with regular pump overs and punch downs. The must is tasted every day during fermentation to ensure the best extraction of the berry compounds. At the end, the wines are racked into oak vats for malolactic fermentation. The cuvée is then aged in large French oak casks and barrels for 12 months before blending. Bottling takes place 6 months later.
Tasting Note: The dark, deep, inky color of the wine shows immediately, stemming from the concentration of the vintage. Nose of blackcurrants, black tea and dried flowers stands out. The mouth is rich, fruity and velvety with an incredibly layered tannic structure. The wine is balanced and pure with strong intense and incredibly long aging potential.
Menu
Fried Green Tomato with Melted Mozzarella Pesto Served on Rosemary Crostini
Tuna Tartar served in Baby Yukon Gold Potato with Shaved Egg and Lemon Olive Aioli
Wild Boar Sausage with Eggplant Maple Mustard Sauce
Peach and Prosciutto Pizza with Mozzarella and Fresh Basil
Candied Bacon
The fee for this tasting is $75 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
A bit about Chateauneuf Du Pape
Alphonse Daudet, the French writer, once called Châteauneuf-du-Pape the "Wine of Kings and the King of Wines." The wines of this region with the easy sounding name have been legendary for hundreds of years. In 1309 a French Cardinal was elected Pope Clement V. Because there was much strife between the French King and Rome, Pope Clement chose to remain in France. The Pope, formerly the Bishop of Bordeaux, owned his own vineyard in the Graves district of Bordeaux (now known as Château Pape-Clement and one of the better properties of Graves); and he was very interested in cultivating vines in the new papal residence he established in Avignon. It was really Clement's successor, Pope John XXII, who did extensive planting of vineyards and constructed a castle outside of Avignon, called the Châteauneuf-du-Pape or "new house of the Pope." This was an affluent time in Avignon; many parties were thrown and much wine was drunk. Although wine had been grown in the surrounding villages for 150 years, it was the papacy that spread the fame of these wines from Avignon.
In the 1920's some of the growers at Châteauneuf-du-Pape became really concerned about the amount of "foreign" wine being sold as Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The late Baron Le Roy, the proprietor of Château Fortia, one of the great estates of the district, drew up a set of laws to guarantee the authenticity and the origin of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. These laws later became the model for France's Appellation Contrôllée laws and were later copied by the Germans, the Spanish, and the Italians. Although the laws have been in force for some years, it is common knowledge that there is still a great amount of illegitimate wine labeled Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The local growers and estate owners realize that one of the problems is that 80% of the wine is made and bottled at facilities outside the district; this obviously leaves room for tremendous abuse. We have found many Châteauneuf-du-Papes from shippers to be variable in quality, and we recommend only those wines that have been estate bottled within the district. In order to make these wines more identifiable to the consumer, the growers use a bottle with the old papal coat of arms. We enthusiastically recommend these wines and urge that you avoid almost all the plain-bottle négociant wines (shipper's blends).
Besides the great difference between estate-bottled and négociant wines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the grape composition of the wines further complicates the picture. As many as thirteen different varieties can go into the make-up of a Châteauneuf; each grower swears by the percentage of the grape he uses. Since different grapes contribute different characteristics to the overall wine (Grenache and Cinsault for warmth and mellowness; Mourvèdre and Syrah for solidity and color etc.), it is understandable how different estates with different grape compositions can produce very different wines. Further complicating everything is how the harvest conditions affect the grapes - all of which ripen at slightly different intervals. It is easy to see why the variation in quality is broader in Châteauneuf-du-Pape than perhaps any wine district in France.
All the Chateauneuf du Pape in the store on SALE!!
2020 Bous De Boursin Chateuneuf Du Pape BLANC
Price: $57.50 Your Price: $50.60 Quantity in Stock: 1
2022 M Chapoutier Chateauneuf Du Pape Blanc La Bernardine
Price: $75.00 Your Price: $66.00 Quantity in Stock: 16
2022 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone, France
Price: $112.50 Your Price: $99.00 Quantity in Stock: 12
2022 Domaine de la Charbonniere Chateauneuf du Pape Rhone, France
Price: $52.50 Your Price: $46.20 Quantity in Stock: 12
2015 CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE GRAND CUVEE HOMMAGE A JACQUES PERRIN
Price: $425.75 Your Price: $374.66 Quantity in Stock: 1
2010 CHAPELLE ST. THEODORIC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LA GUIGASSE MAGNUM 1.5L
Price: $378.00 Your Price: $332.64 Quantity in Stock: 1
2010 RAYMOND USSEGLIO CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE CUVEE IMPERIALE MAGNUM 1.5L
Price: $397.50 Your Price: $349.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
2010 Famille Brechet Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf-du-Pape Val de Dieu Rhone
Price: $81.25 Sale Price: $65.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2007 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo
Price: $695.00 Sale Price: $550.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2004 PATRICK LE SEC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES GALETS BLONDS
Price: $79.50 Sale Price: $59.00 Quantity in Stock: 6
2004 Domaine Du Marcoux Chateauneuf Du Pape Vielle Vignes
Price: $175.00 Your Price: $154.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
2004 Patrick Le Sec Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Bargeton
Price: $79.00 Your Price: $69.52 Quantity in Stock: 2
2003 DOMAINE LA BARROCHE CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE
Price: $65.00 Your Price: $57.20 Quantity in Stock: 2
2003 Domaine Roger Sabon Chateauneuf Du Pape Le Secret de Sabon
Price: $199.00 Your Price: $175.12 Quantity in Stock: 8
2001 PATRICK LE SEC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE MARQUIS TONNEAUX
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $69.96 Quantity in Stock: 9
2001 Domaine Font de Michelle Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Etienne Gonnet
Price: $85.00 Your Price: $74.80 Quantity in Stock: 3
2000 PATRICK LE SEC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE MARQUIS TONNEAUX
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $69.96 Quantity in Stock: 4
2000 PATRICK LE SEC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES GALETS BLONDS
Price: $79.50 Your Price: $69.96 Quantity in Stock: 1
2000 Chateau de la Gardine Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France
Price: $89.00 Sale Price: $75.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
2000 Domaine Paul Autard Chateauneuf du Pape La Cote Ronde
Price: $89.00 Your Price: $78.32 Quantity in Stock: 2
2000 Domaine De Charbonniere Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Mourre Des Perdrix
Price: $79.00 Your Price: $69.52 Quantity in Stock: 19
1999 LOUIS BERNARD CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE
Price: $85.00 Your Price: $74.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
1999 Domaine Chante Perdrix Chateauneuf Du Pape
Price: $75.00 Your Price: $66.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
1999 DOMAINE PAUL AUTARD CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE CUVEE LA COTE RONDE
Price: $85.00 Your Price: $74.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
1995 PATRICK LE SEC CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE LES GALETS BLONDS
Price: $79.00 Your Price: $69.52 Quantity in Stock: 1
1995 Lucien et Andre Brunel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Cailloux Cuvee Centenaire
Price: $175.00 Sale Price: $139.00 Quantity in Stock: 2
1994 BRUNEL LES CAILLOUX CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE REFLETS
Price: $85.00 Your Price: $74.80 Quantity in Stock: 2
1990 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau, Rhone, France
Price: $325.00 Sale Price: $255.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1989 DOMAINE VIEUX TELEGRAPH CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE 9 LITER
Price: $3500.00 Your Price: $3080.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
1988 Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhone, France Magnum
Price: $550.00 Sale Price: $450.00 Quantity in Stock: 1
All the Gigondas in the store on SALE!!
2023 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Rose, Rhone, France
Price: $33.00 Your Price: $29.04 Quantity in Stock: 10
2021 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes
Price: $42.00 Your Price: $36.96 Quantity in Stock: 21
2020 Domaine Gour de Chaule Gigondas '.1871' Tradition Rhone, France
Price: $45.75 Your Price: $40.26 Quantity in Stock: 8
2019 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas La Louisiane Vieilles Vignes
Price: $39.00 Your Price: $34.32 Quantity in Stock: 6
2019 Domaine Saint Damien Gigondas Vieilles Vignes
Price: $36.00 Your Price: $31.68 Quantity in Stock: 3
2016 Domaine de Longue Toque Gigondas Hommage a Gabriel Meffre
Price: $177.00 Your Price: $155.76 Quantity in Stock: 4
2007 Domaine La Bouissiere Gigondas
Price: $35.00 Your Price: $30.80 Quantity in Stock: 1
2007 Domaine Les Pallières Gigondas Les Racines
Price: $75.00 Sale Price: $60.00 Quantity in Stock: 9
2004 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas Prestige De Hauts Garrigues
Price: $35.00 Your Price: $30.80 Quantity in Stock: 1
2003 Chateau de Saint Cosme Gigondas Valbelle
Price: $105.00 Your Price: $92.40 Quantity in Stock: 9
1999 DOMAINE SANTA DUC GIGONDAS
Price: $55.00 Your Price: $48.40 Quantity in Stock: 3
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