| | I had some early CdP loves when I first started drinking wine and then as palate matured I found many of them to be a bit overwhelming and so outside of the Rayas we don't drink a lot from this area. It was fun to go back and explore now that everyone is moving the opposite direction of the Parker-style and see how these are coming out (esp as climate change has posed more challenges in this region). - 2019 Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée les Grenaches de Pierre - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very pretty style of wine. It's all light and bright and lots of spices with just a background of fruit. Appealing.
- 2016 Domaine Giraud Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée les Grenaches de Pierre - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Bit more heft to this wine than the 2019. Touch of the woodsy. Still great fruits and still much more of the light bodied style of wine. Drinking well. Includes grapes from Pignan and Le Pied Long. No oak and all destemmed. Interesting but it definitely works for this one.
- 2019 Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Blend of three different vineyards including Rayas (sand), Colombis (limestone) and Lyon (clay). 100% whole cluster with the big wooden barrels. This is a bit more alcoholic and that's the first piece I notice. Still very light bodied and it is something what the Grenache can do. Some darkness. A bit of woodsy. Playing in your backyard on a summer's day.
- 2014 Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Much less fruit here. This is all spice and smokiness and almost reminds me of tree bark or some of those christmas notes.
- 2020 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From a sandy soil vineyard which faces north so this is a wine that is perhaps coming more into itself. Lots of fruit, darker and almost a bit brooding. Black fruits with the red. 40% stemmed and 60% destemmed. This producer was one of the ones that used to be a bit too much for me and it's still a bigger wine but I found more approachable than some Janasse I've had in the past.
- 2006 Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Chaupin - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Even this was not totally the style I remembered of Janasse and yet this would be a vintage I would have likely tried. Totally de-stemmed. Some heat at the end, but the beginning is all darker fruits, blackberry and hints of spice. Comes together a bit with some time in the glass.
Nice to get a chance to try some of these wines which I haven't spent much time with. The Giraud was esp something that I would keep an eye out for. The kindof wine that would be a crowd pleaser on a restaurant list. CdP continuing to evolve. |
