Absolutely gorgeous wine. Refined, impeccable balance, layered with soft textures of rounded out tannins, luscious black fruit and a long finish. Drinking this wine felt like drinking the softest, smoothest piece of finely- grained sand paper, the sands representing different smooth textures in the mouthfeel. Gidon and Heekyung were blown away by this wine tonight. Paired with grilled Korean beef and marinated pork at the steakhouse.
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This is beautiful and great value. It's tasting great now (although with noticeable heat) and will continue to improve. Notes cream, vanilla, cigar box, violets and floral, and fruits. Tannins are round and finish is long.
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Very ripe. Dark red fruits, garrigue, orange peel, luxardo cherry, sweet tannins, nice juicy finish. Acidity compliments fruit and prevents from being flabby. Lovely, but I imagine this will be even better in 5+ years. Hold.
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Maybe it's because it's Christmas and I am feeling more like watching The Miracle on 34th Street than Diehard, feeling more like Santa than Scrooge but I really need to sing the praises of this wine . Such a long way to go and develop but already so precise , so evocative of place , this wine will become very special. The quality to price ratio is off the charts great, and although hailing from an incredibly famed and hallowed family, I can't but help consider just how much more expensive such quality would demand in say St Julien........I had it with a very simple roast lamb and honestly it was perfect. If you have these in your cellar you can treasure them with ease or drink them right now with a wonderfully clear conscience.....
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Ripe, juicy red fruit with black pepper and just enough texture and tannin. A little heat now, but still great and will continue to be as good and likely better for 5-10 years. Good wine to check in on over 10-15 year period.
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One of the best CdP's I've had. Electric garnet color. Ripe red fruits on the nose, pepper, licorice. Palate has spices, garrigue, pepper, raspberries, cranberry, licorice. It's powerful and in your face. This one with a bit of age will probably be amazing but it's drinking perfectly now. Beautiful wine
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So, the second bottle from the lot I purchased that was off -- seemed cooked -- caramel and oxidization. Hmm - an issue? We have 4 more left. Let's see how they are.
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CdP may not be very popular with the wine cognoscenti, but when I need a break from the acidity and tannins of the Nebbiolo and Sangiovese I love it’s something I find myself reaching for. And what an unbelievable bottle this was.
We had this alongside our main courses at Marcel (NY Strip au poivre for me) and it was nothing short of excellent. Packed with garrigue, spice, and baked red cherries, we couldn’t stop talking about it. This was actually the third time we’ve had 19 Clos des Papes, with the other instances being in January and December of 2022, and the consistency of our experiences has made this our go to CdP.
Lastly, I’ll add that I bought a case of this a little over a year ago for $85 a bottle. The value here can’t be overstated.
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Tasted blind along with the 1999. Dense with floral notes of violets, concentrated but with a still sufficiently fresh fruit. Dense palate but with good balance, vibrant acidity, a firm structure and perfectly integrated tannin. Second time having this and consistent performance.
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My first CDP in a while (other than some older Pegau). Well made but massive wine. Great with chicken marsala but a little overwhelming after it was finished.
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A blend of organically farmed Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 4,9 g/l acidity.
Somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a faint, vaguely purplish hue. The nose feels bold, rich and rather alcoholic with bold aromas of ripe dark fruits, some kirsch, a little bit of juicy red plum, light earthy and herby notes of garrigue, a candied hint of sweet primary fruit and a touch of strawberry. The wine feels dense, ripe and chewy on the palate with a very full body and quite concentrated flavors of juicy dark fruits, red plums and strawberries, some earthy notes of garrigue, a little bit of roasted gamey meat, light blueberry tones, a hint of kirsch and a touch of peppery spice. For such a big and ripe wine, the wine shows relatively good sense of structure, thanks to its medium-to-moderately high acidity and balanced, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. However, there is no denying that the wine is very hot - even at cellar temp the 15,5% shows quite a lot and the boozy heat becomes only more apparent as the wine warms up. The finish is rich, juicy and somewhat grippy with a moderately long aftertaste of youthful dark fruits, some ripe blueberries, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of kirsch. The high alcohol becomes only more apparent as the flavors fade and the alcohol heat just lingers on your palate.
The producer has described their 2020 Pape as the "elegant" vintage and the 2019 vintage as the "powerful" vintage. Well, at least I can agree with the "power" part - this vintage is just ridiculously ripe, resulting in a very big and excessively alcoholic wine. I do admit that the wine is remarkably balanced for such a big wine - the fruit department hasn't turned pruney nor does it even feel too sweet at any point, the acidity is surprisingly high for such a big and ripe wine and the tannins are remarkably balanced: they feel ripe yet ample and grippy enough to bring good sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. I guess my biggest beef is with the ridiculous ABV - had this been clocking in at 14%, the wine would've been pretty enjoyable and rather promising, aging-wise. However, now the wine feels very alcoholic right from the first sniff, and things don't get any better as the wine sits in the glass. On the contrary, the heat from the alcohol simply grows in intensity as the drinking temperature goes up. Even if the wine is otherwise pretty enjoyable, the boozy in-your-face alcohol takes a big toll on the drinkability (and the score) here. This wine might get somewhat better with additional aging, but be warned: there's no way around how this will always be a hot alcohol monster, no matter how old it gets. Not really worth the price at 99,89€.
Excellent+ Other's TNs capture it much better than I could. I enjoyed this from Coravin over a couple of weeks and it showed its best when the remaining ~1/3 was uncorked and given air. Grenache kirsch, garrigue, wood spice, sweet turned earth, plum, raspberry. This will probably show its best in 10+ years. Upside from here.
Unsure of QPR, though I'm sure many will find $100 USD plenty fair for a wine of this stature.
15.5% abv. I never got any heat, the alcohol provides some warmth, but is full enveloped.
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blackish burgundy, little clarity, ruby hue Nose: black cherry, mulberry, blackberries, licorice, leather, black tea, graphite, black pepper, minerals, garrigue, smoke, hickory Pal: black cherry, cassis, blackberries, licorice, leather, tar, black tea, mulberries, minerals, garrigue, smoke, fine tannins, hickory Feel: medium, full Finish: medium T8 (could be a 9)
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Young and essence of Grenache. No funk or oak just a pure expression. Can’t wait to see where this goes as it has all the components to be stunning down the road.
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Reasonable minds can differ on wine, as in many things, but I have to say that I find some of the reviews here puzzling. This is my second bottle of this wine and whilst it has settled beautifully since I last opened one in May 2022, it hasn't changed that much as to its fundamental characters.
Unsurprisingly, Jeff Leve has absolutely nailed this wine in his write up.
I am mystified by the notes that say this wine was locked up, or lacked complexity, or was all about oak. One might not like the style, or the characters of the wine - all fair enough- but let's at least get the basics right.
Unless you are drinking this during a blizzard in Alaska through a pipet tube, it is not locked up. Unless you are drinking this whilst you blow torch a new oak hogshead, licking the wine off the newly charred oak, you will know that the wine is vinified in stainless steel and then aged in big, old oak barrels - chaps, there ain't no oak! As to lacking in complexity, the note is almost its own prosecution.
Look, I have such a pedestrian palate that unless a friend of mine confirms my views I live in terrible doubt, so I don't actually want to be too tough on the reviews above; 'Let he who is without a flawed palate cast the first cork'.
You can argue about the alcohol, although at 15.5% my take is that this wine has so much power and body that it just gulps up the alcohol.
As to complexity, if you only get primary fruit, I am at a loss. There is iron, blood, a lovely accent of leaf and tobacco and definite pepper and spice. Chaps, none of that is primary fruit.
Locked up? I am writing this within an hour of opening, no decant.
I am very much a Grenache doubter and my stiffy lies north of CdP, but this is a wine that could damned near threaten all that. I also find myself thinking 'is this not just another GSM (Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre) but at about 10 times the price of the local Oz product?' The problem is that the answer is this wine is to the enjoyable, whoring GSM what a night with a syphilitic common prostitute is to a night with Josephine Beauharnais. It just isn't in the same galaxy.
The thing with this wine is that even at 15.5% ABV it is surprisingly fresh and the tannins could be a review in their own right. Forget the fruit, drink for the sublime tannins - smokey and bitter but also sweet and like Pu-erh Tea you just end up falling into them and diving deeper.
This is a huge sweating charger, all of 18 hands and if you are such a timid thing that you can't grip the pommel and swing a leg into it, then I guess you deserve to be trampled underfoot. But the beast is beautifully trained and even an average rider can see how gorgeous the coat is, how nimble is its step, despite size and bulk and thrill to feel the power of the beast as it moves. Or are you dead to sensation?
It is the sublime sense of symmetry and richness on the palate, along with the sensuous texture that hit all the right notes. There is a gorgeous purity to the sweet kirsch, length, and silky tannins that make this vintage stand out. This wine should age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease. The yields were only 22 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and the remaining 5% consists of various, allowable grape varieties. The grapes are as always 100% destemmed. Drink from 2025 - 2040.
Drank over two days. I know it is young, but wanted to taste to decide about buying another bottle. The answer is no.
First day it was almost undrinkable. Nothing but alcohol that overpowered everything else. This was after a six hour decant. Poured half into a 375 ml screw-top for the next day.
Certainly more drinkable, but that 15.5 alcohol is still apparent with any fruit taking a back-seat to the strong oak. It needs at least a decade to come together and probably two. However, that high alcohol level has me worried it will not age as well as other vintages. I will hold my other two bottles until 2030-45 to find out.
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Very primary and almost grapey with loads of red fruits and Christmas cake notes. As it heated up shows a bit of heat, but really enjoyed the vibrant the acidity on the palate. Should be a solid vintage for those who like the style.
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First of 2 ($99.99) from the big box wine store about 6 weeks ago. On the nose and palate, moderate notes (which became explosive at the 90 minute mark, per the below) of chiffon-like red raspberries, earthy minerality, camphor and lighter notes of black tea, tar and garrigue. Medium garnet darkening and purpling over time, medium+ bodied, thick legs. Vibrant acidity already surprisingly well balanced and even integrated, medium+ tannins, and the most lithe 15.5% abv you’ll ever find (CT friend LotB’s point about it being almost Faively-like duly noted). Fairly primary off the pour but with increasing, and VG+ complexity over 3 nights, VG++ persistence, VG+ intensity. Well, sometimes you gotta break your own rules, and one of mine would be, as a regular drinker of different vintages of this bottling (in the past 5 years or so, 1998-2001, 2003-2011) much before its eight birthday, and often, well thereafter. But hey, I’m on CT for a reason, and when I see people whose opinions I trust bestowing 95-100 scores on something now, something which could close up at some point, or we could end up at sword’s point with some global bad guy which could threaten my wine cellar, or, well, more fun times with the Palo Alto Spa, not to mention that I have another bottle, and was considering, based on the notes, buying more, well, my corkscrew beckoned. While it’s hard to know handle the counterfactual of how I’d feel if I saved this bottle for 5-10-20 years, it hasn’t sucked the past 3 nights. Intense and focused with dancing red raspberries leading the way out of the bottle, the olfactory hit another gear with about 90 minutes of air, smelling like the finest Parisian parfumerie in the midst of a rose garden, with more red fruits (rhubarb, red currants, red and black cherries) and orange peel being joined by anise and some rocky minerality (Close des Papes notes so familiar to those from the aughts like funk, smoked meats, heavy garrigue and figs were almost or completely absent to my palate). Its complexity may have peaked at the 3 hour mark, at which point I recorked it, but this has held well over 3 nights, even if it didn’t change much, for better or worse, after the first 2-3 hours. A magical complement to lamb chops—making up for the exhausted ‘06 of this bottling last month—this is just great as a sipping wine, for those so inclined. While fluctuation seems to be more likely up than down over the medium to longer term, how much so, and how straight that path will be falls into the who knows basket; it’s not infanticide to drink this not only delicious, but beguiling, quaff stat. While my near term purchases will more likely be measured in bottles than cases—I mean, short of this being 100+ at the moment, which, per the below, it isn’t for me—is how I roll anyway, this is pretty great stuff and right there already with my favorite Rhones. Its youth has made it unusually hard for me to grade, as I’ve flip flopped between thinking that this is currently an excellent wine with potential for possible greatness (95+) to believing that it’s a monumental wine heading for the pantheon (98). I end up somewhere in the middle, 96+, CT consensus, and looking forward to my next date, probably in 5 years (yep, health issues aside, I’m one of the more patient folks on the site). Get some.
Re-tasted last night, without hesitation it is still the greatest Chateauneuf I have drunk in my life with Chateau Rayas 1990. And the more wines I taste from 2019, the more I am crazy for this year. Virtually all of the greatest wines I've drunk in my life come from this vintage. Lafleur, Pingus, Figeac, Eglise-Clinet, Carmes H-B, Petrolo Galatrona, Clos des Papes, Arnoux-Lachaux, Domaine d'Eugénie, B. Clavelier... My only dream is to taste them all again in 10-15 years. I have at least one bottle of each. Then I could die happy, LOL
J0 : Nez au potentiel évident mais fermée à double tour.
J+1 : Nez fruits noirs, épices, café froid, élevage est déjà en cours d'intégration. La bouche est volumineuse, grasse, ferme, style boxeur poids lourd.
J+2 : Le nez reste viril mais est devenu un petit peu plus harmonieux sur les fruits noirs, cerise noir, prune bleu, mûre, épices, eau de vie, animal. La bouche est volumineuse, chaleureuse mais les tannins sont de très bonnes factures.
Honnêtement, j'espérais plus d'émotions et de plaisir avec ce blockbuster à ce stade, principalement sur la jeunesse avant que celle-ci ne se referme. Peut-être cette bouteille n'était pas dans un jour optimal car son potentiel semble évident.
Decanted for about 45 minutes. This was most open at the start with lovely black and red fruit, white pepper, and a hint of another spice I couldn’t quite place (clove? aniseed?). Too young at this stage but silky smooth. Try again in 3-5 years for 96-97 point potential. Very Burgundian - almost reminded me of a Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze.
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Karstens Wotn, my #3. Fresh, no oak, fruity, needs some time to integrate. Plum, cherries on the nose. Full bodied.
Although this wine is highly praised along the line, I could only rate it 93. Some tastes are simply different than others. Wouldn buy it again and I am happy to have tasted it before considering buying more.
Scored as 'Oh my God, I am going to dump the wife, never touch porn again, pay my taxes, take up religion and elope with a case of this' on the CT Scale. I could score it a point or two higher, but I am mean and nasty, as opposed to 'hot and nasty' (that's for all you Black Oak Arkansas fans). Under the quixotic cork to keep us guessing as it ages. Not decanted, note made the day after opening.
Colour is verging on inky and as you tilt the glass there is little fading to the rim. Powerful vintage, powerful colour and that looks to equal powerful wine; but will it be too much? That's always the worry with the 'big' years and with Grenache it is a fine line between getting ripe tannins and nice perfume, or an over-ripe, very alcoholic port substitute (but without the depth).
The wine evolves enormously over the course of 24 hours. Early on it is potent, Grenache dominant. Then the other components start to well up and I am much happier. Now we get Grenache perfume of raspberry and strawberry, some earth and iron filings, blueberry and something I want to call plum, but that doesn't quite feel right. Oh for a more articulate palate! Tannins are fine, ripe and hold it all together. There is just enough acid to keep it fresh. The finish is long indeed and the wine fills the mouth without coating it and without being flabby. So, this wine escapes the power trap. It is a potent wine but not over-ripe.
This is not a cheap wine, in Oz in pure dollar terms, but it is a cheap wine in terms of what you get. It is substantially cheaper than many of our more expensive 'totem' wines and whilst the comparison is tricky (given our totem reds are Shiraz or Cabernet), I think it is valid in terms of 'value'.
A side note would be that I have seen some comments that there is oak in this wine. I have to say that would (pardon the pun) be my thought as well - the texture suggests some tasteful oak providing some creaminess and there are hints of what I would call oak spiciness on the nose. However, what I read is that the maker is quite averse to oak. perhaps what we have is ripe fruit, concentration and creaminess from the fermentation and time on lees? Maybe it doesn't matter much if the effect is good?
I encourage you to buy this, but do it by forwarding funds (crypto only I think, don't you?) and your account details to me. I promise to not just buy the wine but hold it for you. Trust me, I'm a lawyer.
Nose: Garrigue, black cherry, candy shop, orange peel, white spice.
Mouth: An elegant wash of deep raspberry, black cherry and cassis come through melted, as a seamless melange of flavors laced through with ribbons of vivid black tea, dried orange peel, and very faint vanilla creme, all on a remarkable carpet of silken oak. A deep graphite and white pepper edge cuts through, announcing the finish and underpinning the fruit as it sails endlessly into the distance. Candied in feel, but harnessed beautifully without somehow ever becoming decadent.
Overall: One for the ages, this is enormously vivid and developed at this time, with ample pleasure to be had for now, and probably 30 years of possible age within it. Supple and round, deep but always buoyant and the gloss from the oak is in itself as a texture something to marvel at. A complete triumph. Drink now - 2041.
What a treasure. Popped and then slowly oxidized over five hours. The body is full, velvety and yet remains fresh and vibrant, with cottony tannins. Persistent. Ripe raspberries, cranberries, milk chocolate, fennel, figs, blonde coffee, blueberry syrup and mineral. A mere baby, this is still showing such killer fruit and will without question age exceptionally well. Acidity and depth. Finishes quite long. What a wonder. Drink 2026 -.
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Purple red color. Smell of leather and crushed grapes. Fine fruit and leather, gorgois tannins after a two hour decant. Lovely wine. fruit forward with notes of strawberries, jammy berries, leather and nice acids. Great tannins and mouth feel. Wait a few years and this will be spectacular.
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Words are really hard to accurately describe this insanely good CdP. Make no mistake that the bottle we had was fantastic, but it really is a small look into the future. Aroma from the start was that of dark stone fruit, cassis, dirt, some oak, tobacco, leather and cooking herbs. Over the palate was minerality, graphite, pepper, chocolate, blackberries & blueberries, stewed fruit, tobacco, licorice and leather. Medium body with medium acidity. Silky and elegant too. This is going to be a monster of a wine that should just get better and better over time.
Quite lively, fresh, and spritely off the initial pour.
Soft velvet tannins offer a pleasurable mouthfeel. Dark garnet red in the glass, the wine is medium to full body.
Crashing ashore are waves of really elegant soft red fruits. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry. Some red black fruits. Plums and fig jam come to mind. Lots of sweetness over much acidity or tartness. With very little oak detected as well.
And last. An elegant & long, James Bond walking slowly backward, Martini in hand, glancing over the crowd as he's exiting out the back door kind of finish. As smooth as they come.
Not to mix words, this wine is flat out delicious and finely crafted. Right now, I see no reason why it can’t be drunk now. Unless you’re actually drunk now and may not necessarily appreciate it... 🤪
Aging on the other hand, and how this wine will evolve over time, is a different question and a personal preference. I kinda like these wines young and just love the juiciness, the energy, and the freshness now, but that's just me.
Rich, supple, deep, intense and complex, this is stunning from the get go. One sniff of all that gorgeous, spicy kirsch, herbs, peppery spice and mélange of red fruits and you're hooked. If that wasn't enough, the silky, supple, elegant, fresh palate presence will seal the deal, finishing with its layers of deep, red fruits. This wine should age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease. The wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the remaining 5% consists of various, allowable grape varieties. The grapes are as always 100% destemmed. Drink from 2025 - 2040
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Sorry to be a little proud of myself, but I can't resist putting you below the comments of the best critics of the great wines of the Rhône. Already in sample, I had sensed the exceptional quality of this wine. I just bought a few bottles before the price exploded.
99/100 B&D: "Absolutely grandiose. There are no words to describe the obviousness of its harmony. Between its almost perfect creaminess, the strength of its fruit, the excellence of its velvety tannin, everything is perfectly in place. Ten years of custody, it could bring us a few tears. What an emotion. Thrill guaranteed! "
98/100 RVF: "The 2019 red is certainly one of the finest in this vintage for the appellation. The wine presents rare grace and finesse over a sunny and high-grade year, and we can only salute the management of the texture and its overall harmony. "
98/100 Decanter: "Lively and floral nose. The tannins are extremely fine, almost imperceptible, but very present, giving the wine a solid base for a long aging. It is perfectly balanced, long and deep. Rich but luminous, very complete , pure and without excess. "
Bit of a blockbuster, this one, but the balance is way better than in the 2016 - for now, at least. Bursting with fruit, sheer power, Grenache speaks, plenty of local feel, this wil impress from the get go - but needs time, I think. #ChezAvril
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Very rich and ripe but, a great core of dark cherry fruit and spices. 16% alc apparently, but the balance is fine. Will be an interesting wine to follow, may be too exuberant for my taste, but who knows.
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Tasted blind, not decanted. Lots of sweet spices, ripe red cherry fruit and also some herbal elements. Very fresh, fruit-forward palate, albeit with a tad too much acidity. Very early days of course here so am definitely hopeful this will improve over the next 5-7 years.
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4/5/2024 - stschutz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Absolutely gorgeous wine. Refined, impeccable balance, layered with soft textures of rounded out tannins, luscious black fruit and a long finish. Drinking this wine felt like drinking the softest, smoothest piece of finely- grained sand paper, the sands representing different smooth textures in the mouthfeel. Gidon and Heekyung were blown away by this wine tonight. Paired with grilled Korean beef and marinated pork at the steakhouse.
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2/2/2024 - Happytoro Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is beautiful and great value. It's tasting great now (although with noticeable heat) and will continue to improve. Notes cream, vanilla, cigar box, violets and floral, and fruits. Tannins are round and finish is long.
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1/28/2024 - twoheadedguy wrote: 95 Points
Very ripe. Dark red fruits, garrigue, orange peel, luxardo cherry, sweet tannins, nice juicy finish. Acidity compliments fruit and prevents from being flabby. Lovely, but I imagine this will be even better in 5+ years. Hold.
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12/25/2023 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful dark fruit. Very enjoyable now, but a lot of time ahead for this wine
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12/25/2023 - ESCO wrote: 93 Points
Maybe it's because it's Christmas and I am feeling more like watching The Miracle on 34th Street than Diehard, feeling more like Santa than Scrooge but I really need to sing the praises of this wine . Such a long way to go and develop but already so precise , so evocative of place , this wine will become very special. The quality to price ratio is off the charts great, and although hailing from an incredibly famed and hallowed family, I can't but help consider just how much more expensive such quality would demand in say St Julien........I had it with a very simple roast lamb and honestly it was perfect. If you have these in your cellar you can treasure them with ease or drink them right now with a wonderfully clear conscience.....
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12/16/2023 - jkad Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe, juicy red fruit with black pepper and just enough texture and tannin. A little heat now, but still great and will continue to be as good and likely better for 5-10 years. Good wine to check in on over 10-15 year period.
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11/6/2023 - DevenStephens Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the best CdP's I've had. Electric garnet color. Ripe red fruits on the nose, pepper, licorice. Palate has spices, garrigue, pepper, raspberries, cranberry, licorice. It's powerful and in your face. This one with a bit of age will probably be amazing but it's drinking perfectly now. Beautiful wine
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10/4/2023 - Sonoma-W wrote: flawed
So, the second bottle from the lot I purchased that was off -- seemed cooked -- caramel and oxidization. Hmm - an issue? We have 4 more left. Let's see how they are.
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8/19/2023 - JWS84 Likes this wine:
CdP may not be very popular with the wine cognoscenti, but when I need a break from the acidity and tannins of the Nebbiolo and Sangiovese I love it’s something I find myself reaching for. And what an unbelievable bottle this was.
We had this alongside our main courses at Marcel (NY Strip au poivre for me) and it was nothing short of excellent. Packed with garrigue, spice, and baked red cherries, we couldn’t stop talking about it. This was actually the third time we’ve had 19 Clos des Papes, with the other instances being in January and December of 2022, and the consistency of our experiences has made this our go to CdP.
Lastly, I’ll add that I bought a case of this a little over a year ago for $85 a bottle. The value here can’t be overstated.
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8/18/2023 - Sonoma-W wrote: flawed
Seemed heavy with a caramel sparkling taste -- perhaps "cooked" in transit? Definitely not what we expect in this wine.
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8/6/2023 - Mfg92 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Excellent. Taste if berries. High alcohol, but smooth when drinking.
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6/24/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind along with the 1999. Dense with floral notes of violets, concentrated but with a still sufficiently fresh fruit. Dense palate but with good balance, vibrant acidity, a firm structure and perfectly integrated tannin. Second time having this and consistent performance.
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6/6/2023 - Super Dave AZ Likes this wine: 97 Points
Stunning
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4/23/2023 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant and refined. Well blended. Black currant, blackberries. Not too spicy
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3/25/2023 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first CDP in a while (other than some older Pegau). Well made but massive wine. Great with chicken marsala but a little overwhelming after it was finished.
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3/24/2023 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 4,9 g/l acidity.
Somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a faint, vaguely purplish hue. The nose feels bold, rich and rather alcoholic with bold aromas of ripe dark fruits, some kirsch, a little bit of juicy red plum, light earthy and herby notes of garrigue, a candied hint of sweet primary fruit and a touch of strawberry. The wine feels dense, ripe and chewy on the palate with a very full body and quite concentrated flavors of juicy dark fruits, red plums and strawberries, some earthy notes of garrigue, a little bit of roasted gamey meat, light blueberry tones, a hint of kirsch and a touch of peppery spice. For such a big and ripe wine, the wine shows relatively good sense of structure, thanks to its medium-to-moderately high acidity and balanced, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. However, there is no denying that the wine is very hot - even at cellar temp the 15,5% shows quite a lot and the boozy heat becomes only more apparent as the wine warms up. The finish is rich, juicy and somewhat grippy with a moderately long aftertaste of youthful dark fruits, some ripe blueberries, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of kirsch. The high alcohol becomes only more apparent as the flavors fade and the alcohol heat just lingers on your palate.
The producer has described their 2020 Pape as the "elegant" vintage and the 2019 vintage as the "powerful" vintage. Well, at least I can agree with the "power" part - this vintage is just ridiculously ripe, resulting in a very big and excessively alcoholic wine. I do admit that the wine is remarkably balanced for such a big wine - the fruit department hasn't turned pruney nor does it even feel too sweet at any point, the acidity is surprisingly high for such a big and ripe wine and the tannins are remarkably balanced: they feel ripe yet ample and grippy enough to bring good sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. I guess my biggest beef is with the ridiculous ABV - had this been clocking in at 14%, the wine would've been pretty enjoyable and rather promising, aging-wise. However, now the wine feels very alcoholic right from the first sniff, and things don't get any better as the wine sits in the glass. On the contrary, the heat from the alcohol simply grows in intensity as the drinking temperature goes up. Even if the wine is otherwise pretty enjoyable, the boozy in-your-face alcohol takes a big toll on the drinkability (and the score) here. This wine might get somewhat better with additional aging, but be warned: there's no way around how this will always be a hot alcohol monster, no matter how old it gets. Not really worth the price at 99,89€.
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2/20/2023 - tward Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent+
Other's TNs capture it much better than I could. I enjoyed this from Coravin over a couple of weeks and it showed its best when the remaining ~1/3 was uncorked and given air. Grenache kirsch, garrigue, wood spice, sweet turned earth, plum, raspberry. This will probably show its best in 10+ years. Upside from here.
Unsure of QPR, though I'm sure many will find $100 USD plenty fair for a wine of this stature.
15.5% abv. I never got any heat, the alcohol provides some warmth, but is full enveloped.
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2/17/2023 - Frijole wrote:
blackish burgundy, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: black cherry, mulberry, blackberries, licorice, leather, black tea, graphite, black pepper, minerals, garrigue, smoke, hickory
Pal: black cherry, cassis, blackberries, licorice, leather, tar, black tea, mulberries, minerals, garrigue, smoke, fine tannins, hickory
Feel: medium, full
Finish: medium
T8 (could be a 9)
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2/10/2023 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young and essence of Grenache. No funk or oak just a pure expression. Can’t wait to see where this goes as it has all the components to be stunning down the road.
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2/10/2023 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Reasonable minds can differ on wine, as in many things, but I have to say that I find some of the reviews here puzzling. This is my second bottle of this wine and whilst it has settled beautifully since I last opened one in May 2022, it hasn't changed that much as to its fundamental characters.
Unsurprisingly, Jeff Leve has absolutely nailed this wine in his write up.
I am mystified by the notes that say this wine was locked up, or lacked complexity, or was all about oak. One might not like the style, or the characters of the wine - all fair enough- but let's at least get the basics right.
Unless you are drinking this during a blizzard in Alaska through a pipet tube, it is not locked up. Unless you are drinking this whilst you blow torch a new oak hogshead, licking the wine off the newly charred oak, you will know that the wine is vinified in stainless steel and then aged in big, old oak barrels - chaps, there ain't no oak! As to lacking in complexity, the note is almost its own prosecution.
Look, I have such a pedestrian palate that unless a friend of mine confirms my views I live in terrible doubt, so I don't actually want to be too tough on the reviews above; 'Let he who is without a flawed palate cast the first cork'.
You can argue about the alcohol, although at 15.5% my take is that this wine has so much power and body that it just gulps up the alcohol.
As to complexity, if you only get primary fruit, I am at a loss. There is iron, blood, a lovely accent of leaf and tobacco and definite pepper and spice. Chaps, none of that is primary fruit.
Locked up? I am writing this within an hour of opening, no decant.
I am very much a Grenache doubter and my stiffy lies north of CdP, but this is a wine that could damned near threaten all that. I also find myself thinking 'is this not just another GSM (Grenache Shiraz Mouvedre) but at about 10 times the price of the local Oz product?' The problem is that the answer is this wine is to the enjoyable, whoring GSM what a night with a syphilitic common prostitute is to a night with Josephine Beauharnais. It just isn't in the same galaxy.
The thing with this wine is that even at 15.5% ABV it is surprisingly fresh and the tannins could be a review in their own right. Forget the fruit, drink for the sublime tannins - smokey and bitter but also sweet and like Pu-erh Tea you just end up falling into them and diving deeper.
This is a huge sweating charger, all of 18 hands and if you are such a timid thing that you can't grip the pommel and swing a leg into it, then I guess you deserve to be trampled underfoot. But the beast is beautifully trained and even an average rider can see how gorgeous the coat is, how nimble is its step, despite size and bulk and thrill to feel the power of the beast as it moves. Or are you dead to sensation?
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1/30/2023 - AlyssaRock12 wrote:
Wine ranked #6 out of 12 for 2019 CdP Tasting.
Nose: Blueberry pie, violet, baking spice, pepper; great nose
Palate: full-body; high acid; violet, blueberry; primary/not complex
88 pts
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10/4/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
It is the sublime sense of symmetry and richness on the palate, along with the sensuous texture that hit all the right notes. There is a gorgeous purity to the sweet kirsch, length, and silky tannins that make this vintage stand out. This wine should age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease. The yields were only 22 hectoliters per hectare. The wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and the remaining 5% consists of various, allowable grape varieties. The grapes are as always 100% destemmed. Drink from 2025 - 2040.
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9/22/2022 - SchlaepDog wrote:
Drank over two days. I know it is young, but wanted to taste to decide about buying another bottle. The answer is no.
First day it was almost undrinkable. Nothing but alcohol that overpowered everything else. This was after a six hour decant. Poured half into a 375 ml screw-top for the next day.
Certainly more drinkable, but that 15.5 alcohol is still apparent with any fruit taking a back-seat to the strong oak. It needs at least a decade to come together and probably two. However, that high alcohol level has me worried it will not age as well as other vintages. I will hold my other two bottles until 2030-45 to find out.
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8/15/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very primary and almost grapey with loads of red fruits and Christmas cake notes. As it heated up shows a bit of heat, but really enjoyed the vibrant the acidity on the palate. Should be a solid vintage for those who like the style.
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8/5/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
First of 2 ($99.99) from the big box wine store about 6 weeks ago. On the nose and palate, moderate notes (which became explosive at the 90 minute mark, per the below) of chiffon-like red raspberries, earthy minerality, camphor and lighter notes of black tea, tar and garrigue. Medium garnet darkening and purpling over time, medium+ bodied, thick legs. Vibrant acidity already surprisingly well balanced and even integrated, medium+ tannins, and the most lithe 15.5% abv you’ll ever find (CT friend LotB’s point about it being almost Faively-like duly noted). Fairly primary off the pour but with increasing, and VG+ complexity over 3 nights, VG++ persistence, VG+ intensity. Well, sometimes you gotta break your own rules, and one of mine would be, as a regular drinker of different vintages of this bottling (in the past 5 years or so, 1998-2001, 2003-2011) much before its eight birthday, and often, well thereafter. But hey, I’m on CT for a reason, and when I see people whose opinions I trust bestowing 95-100 scores on something now, something which could close up at some point, or we could end up at sword’s point with some global bad guy which could threaten my wine cellar, or, well, more fun times with the Palo Alto Spa, not to mention that I have another bottle, and was considering, based on the notes, buying more, well, my corkscrew beckoned. While it’s hard to know handle the counterfactual of how I’d feel if I saved this bottle for 5-10-20 years, it hasn’t sucked the past 3 nights. Intense and focused with dancing red raspberries leading the way out of the bottle, the olfactory hit another gear with about 90 minutes of air, smelling like the finest Parisian parfumerie in the midst of a rose garden, with more red fruits (rhubarb, red currants, red and black cherries) and orange peel being joined by anise and some rocky minerality (Close des Papes notes so familiar to those from the aughts like funk, smoked meats, heavy garrigue and figs were almost or completely absent to my palate). Its complexity may have peaked at the 3 hour mark, at which point I recorked it, but this has held well over 3 nights, even if it didn’t change much, for better or worse, after the first 2-3 hours. A magical complement to lamb chops—making up for the exhausted ‘06 of this bottling last month—this is just great as a sipping wine, for those so inclined. While fluctuation seems to be more likely up than down over the medium to longer term, how much so, and how straight that path will be falls into the who knows basket; it’s not infanticide to drink this not only delicious, but beguiling, quaff stat. While my near term purchases will more likely be measured in bottles than cases—I mean, short of this being 100+ at the moment, which, per the below, it isn’t for me—is how I roll anyway, this is pretty great stuff and right there already with my favorite Rhones. Its youth has made it unusually hard for me to grade, as I’ve flip flopped between thinking that this is currently an excellent wine with potential for possible greatness (95+) to believing that it’s a monumental wine heading for the pantheon (98). I end up somewhere in the middle, 96+, CT consensus, and looking forward to my next date, probably in 5 years (yep, health issues aside, I’m one of the more patient folks on the site). Get some.
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8/1/2022 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 100 Points
Re-tasted last night, without hesitation it is still the greatest Chateauneuf I have drunk in my life with Chateau Rayas 1990. And the more wines I taste from 2019, the more I am crazy for this year. Virtually all of the greatest wines I've drunk in my life come from this vintage. Lafleur, Pingus, Figeac, Eglise-Clinet, Carmes H-B, Petrolo Galatrona, Clos des Papes, Arnoux-Lachaux, Domaine d'Eugénie, B. Clavelier...
My only dream is to taste them all again in 10-15 years. I have at least one bottle of each.
Then I could die happy, LOL
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6/6/2022 - François1986 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Robe grenat d'intensité profonde -
J0 : Nez au potentiel évident mais fermée à double tour.
J+1 : Nez fruits noirs, épices, café froid, élevage est déjà en cours d'intégration.
La bouche est volumineuse, grasse, ferme, style boxeur poids lourd.
J+2 : Le nez reste viril mais est devenu un petit peu plus harmonieux sur les fruits noirs, cerise noir, prune bleu, mûre, épices, eau de vie, animal.
La bouche est volumineuse, chaleureuse mais les tannins sont de très bonnes factures.
Honnêtement, j'espérais plus d'émotions et de plaisir avec ce blockbuster à ce stade, principalement sur la jeunesse avant que celle-ci ne se referme. Peut-être cette bouteille n'était pas dans un jour optimal car son potentiel semble évident.
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5/22/2022 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for about 45 minutes. This was most open at the start with lovely black and red fruit, white pepper, and a hint of another spice I couldn’t quite place (clove? aniseed?). Too young at this stage but silky smooth. Try again in 3-5 years for 96-97 point potential. Very Burgundian - almost reminded me of a Faiveley Chambertin Clos de Beze.
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5/21/2022 - _Xenon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Karstens Wotn, my #3. Fresh, no oak, fruity, needs some time to integrate. Plum, cherries on the nose. Full bodied.
Although this wine is highly praised along the line, I could only rate it 93. Some tastes are simply different than others. Wouldn buy it again and I am happy to have tasted it before considering buying more.
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5/5/2022 - Rote Kappelle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Scored as 'Oh my God, I am going to dump the wife, never touch porn again, pay my taxes, take up religion and elope with a case of this' on the CT Scale. I could score it a point or two higher, but I am mean and nasty, as opposed to 'hot and nasty' (that's for all you Black Oak Arkansas fans). Under the quixotic cork to keep us guessing as it ages. Not decanted, note made the day after opening.
Colour is verging on inky and as you tilt the glass there is little fading to the rim. Powerful vintage, powerful colour and that looks to equal powerful wine; but will it be too much? That's always the worry with the 'big' years and with Grenache it is a fine line between getting ripe tannins and nice perfume, or an over-ripe, very alcoholic port substitute (but without the depth).
The wine evolves enormously over the course of 24 hours. Early on it is potent, Grenache dominant. Then the other components start to well up and I am much happier. Now we get Grenache perfume of raspberry and strawberry, some earth and iron filings, blueberry and something I want to call plum, but that doesn't quite feel right. Oh for a more articulate palate! Tannins are fine, ripe and hold it all together. There is just enough acid to keep it fresh. The finish is long indeed and the wine fills the mouth without coating it and without being flabby. So, this wine escapes the power trap. It is a potent wine but not over-ripe.
This is not a cheap wine, in Oz in pure dollar terms, but it is a cheap wine in terms of what you get. It is substantially cheaper than many of our more expensive 'totem' wines and whilst the comparison is tricky (given our totem reds are Shiraz or Cabernet), I think it is valid in terms of 'value'.
A side note would be that I have seen some comments that there is oak in this wine. I have to say that would (pardon the pun) be my thought as well - the texture suggests some tasteful oak providing some creaminess and there are hints of what I would call oak spiciness on the nose. However, what I read is that the maker is quite averse to oak. perhaps what we have is ripe fruit, concentration and creaminess from the fermentation and time on lees? Maybe it doesn't matter much if the effect is good?
I encourage you to buy this, but do it by forwarding funds (crypto only I think, don't you?) and your account details to me. I promise to not just buy the wine but hold it for you. Trust me, I'm a lawyer.
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5/1/2022 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 99 Points
Outstanding! Favourite rhone of the year
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4/6/2022 - Cake & Fine Wine wrote: 97 Points
“It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up”
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3/22/2022 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 98 Points
Deep purple.
Nose: Garrigue, black cherry, candy shop, orange peel, white spice.
Mouth: An elegant wash of deep raspberry, black cherry and cassis come through melted, as a seamless melange of flavors laced through with ribbons of vivid black tea, dried orange peel, and very faint vanilla creme, all on a remarkable carpet of silken oak. A deep graphite and white pepper edge cuts through, announcing the finish and underpinning the fruit as it sails endlessly into the distance. Candied in feel, but harnessed beautifully without somehow ever becoming decadent.
Overall: One for the ages, this is enormously vivid and developed at this time, with ample pleasure to be had for now, and probably 30 years of possible age within it. Supple and round, deep but always buoyant and the gloss from the oak is in itself as a texture something to marvel at. A complete triumph. Drink now - 2041.
98.
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3/18/2022 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 98 Points
What a treasure. Popped and then slowly oxidized over five hours. The body is full, velvety and yet remains fresh and vibrant, with cottony tannins. Persistent. Ripe raspberries, cranberries, milk chocolate, fennel, figs, blonde coffee, blueberry syrup and mineral. A mere baby, this is still showing such killer fruit and will without question age exceptionally well. Acidity and depth. Finishes quite long. What a wonder. Drink 2026 -.
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2/11/2022 - MAC49 wrote: 93 Points
Purple red color. Smell of leather and crushed grapes. Fine fruit and leather, gorgois tannins after a two hour decant. Lovely wine. fruit forward with notes of strawberries, jammy berries, leather and nice acids. Great tannins and mouth feel. Wait a few years and this will be spectacular.
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2/9/2022 - ChopperWine Likes this wine: 97 Points
Words are really hard to accurately describe this insanely good CdP. Make no mistake that the bottle we had was fantastic, but it really is a small look into the future. Aroma from the start was that of dark stone fruit, cassis, dirt, some oak, tobacco, leather and cooking herbs. Over the palate was minerality, graphite, pepper, chocolate, blackberries & blueberries, stewed fruit, tobacco, licorice and leather. Medium body with medium acidity. Silky and elegant too. This is going to be a monster of a wine that should just get better and better over time.
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1/10/2022 - PIZZAandBAROLO Likes this wine: 97 Points
Quite lively, fresh, and spritely off the initial pour.
Soft velvet tannins offer a pleasurable mouthfeel. Dark garnet red in the glass, the wine is medium to full body.
Crashing ashore are waves of really elegant soft red fruits. Raspberry, cherry, strawberry. Some red black fruits. Plums and fig jam come to mind. Lots of sweetness over much acidity or tartness. With very little oak detected as well.
And last. An elegant & long, James Bond walking slowly backward, Martini in hand, glancing over the crowd as he's exiting out the back door kind of finish. As smooth as they come.
Not to mix words, this wine is flat out delicious and finely crafted. Right now, I see no reason why it can’t be drunk now. Unless you’re actually drunk now and may not necessarily appreciate it... 🤪
Aging on the other hand, and how this wine will evolve over time, is a different question and a personal preference. I kinda like these wines young and just love the juiciness, the energy, and the freshness now, but that's just me.
97+
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1/9/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
Rich, supple, deep, intense and complex, this is stunning from the get go. One sniff of all that gorgeous, spicy kirsch, herbs, peppery spice and mélange of red fruits and you're hooked. If that wasn't enough, the silky, supple, elegant, fresh palate presence will seal the deal, finishing with its layers of deep, red fruits. This wine should age and evolve for 2-3 decades with ease. The wine is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and the remaining 5% consists of various, allowable grape varieties. The grapes are as always 100% destemmed. Drink from 2025 - 2040
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1/5/2022 - Decarlor wrote: 100 Points
Great wine! To me better than the 2010 version.
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12/23/2021 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP into Zalto Universal glass (“Fruit” day): Medium ruby to the eyes.
White peppery, strawberry jam and earthy garrique signature here. Very elegant and complete.
Rich and plush on palate.
94 points easy.
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11/19/2021 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 100 Points
Sorry to be a little proud of myself, but I can't resist putting you below the comments of the best critics of the great wines of the Rhône. Already in sample, I had sensed the exceptional quality of this wine. I just bought a few bottles before the price exploded.
99/100 B&D: "Absolutely grandiose. There are no words to describe the obviousness of its harmony. Between its almost perfect creaminess, the strength of its fruit, the excellence of its velvety tannin, everything is perfectly in place. Ten years of custody, it could bring us a few tears. What an emotion. Thrill guaranteed! "
98/100 RVF: "The 2019 red is certainly one of the finest in this vintage for the appellation. The wine presents rare grace and finesse over a sunny and high-grade year, and we can only salute the management of the texture and its overall harmony. "
98/100 Decanter: "Lively and floral nose. The tannins are extremely fine, almost imperceptible, but very present, giving the wine a solid base for a long aging. It is perfectly balanced, long and deep. Rich but luminous, very complete , pure and without excess. "
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11/10/2021 - beatles wrote: 96 Points
Bit of a blockbuster, this one, but the balance is way better than in the 2016 - for now, at least. Bursting with fruit, sheer power, Grenache speaks, plenty of local feel, this wil impress from the get go - but needs time, I think.
#ChezAvril
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11/10/2021 - pbaek wrote:
Very rich and ripe but, a great core of dark cherry fruit and spices. 16% alc apparently, but the balance is fine. Will be an interesting wine to follow, may be too exuberant for my taste, but who knows.
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10/30/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind, not decanted. Lots of sweet spices, ripe red cherry fruit and also some herbal elements. Very fresh, fruit-forward palate, albeit with a tad too much acidity. Very early days of course here so am definitely hopeful this will improve over the next 5-7 years.
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7/9/2021 - Ramonee Confit Likes this wine: 98 Points
Gouté avec l'ami Watcheslover, il est grandiose. (98-99)
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7/9/2021 - watcheslover Likes this wine: 99 Points
Fabulous, the best Clos des Papes ever made, better than the great 2007, 2016, 17 and 18. It will be a legend!
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