2007 Domaine des 3 Cellier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Alchimie

JancisRobinson.com

• By Jancis Robinson, MW
  12/10/2008, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)

  (Dom des 3 Cellier, Alchimie Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red) Subscribe to see review text.

RJonWine.com

• By Richard Jennings
  2/12/2011, (See more on RJonWine.com...) 91 points

  (Domaine des 3 Cellier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Alchimie) Very dark red violet color; tart black fruit, roasted black fruit, beets nose; tasty, tart black fruit, horseradish, mineral, beet root palate; medium-plus finish (74% Grenache, 16% Syrah, 5% Counoise, 5% Vaccarèse)

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  10/27/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (ALCHIMIE 3 Cellier CdP) Cellier du Pape Dear Friends, This item will undoubtedly make my short list for 2009 Wine of the Year - not as much for the individual wine (which is certainly good) but more for the winery. This entity changes the game in Chateauneuf du Pape and it ushers in a new era where the underground has a very loud voice. I don't know if I've saved the best for last but I've definitely saved the rarest. If Amazon and Google can dominate the markets, where the old school continues to spin its wheels, Les 3 Cellier is set to do the same. This is the future of wine and it is in the hands of two rogue winemakers that would not be out of place at The Good Fork in Red Hook. While you should be prepared to be pummeled by 2007 Rhone offerings over the next 2-3 days, I doubt you will see this wine on any of them. As a true garage operation, housed in their father's old winery, 3 Cellier reminds me of Barroche or Cedric Bouchard when we debuted their wares in the US: entities that were immediate stars among the progressive but also the collector. If you are looking for wine that will be nearly impossible to find in the US, only a few hundred cases were produced of their 2007s and every bottle is already spoken for at the winery. The 2007 Alchimie is why I set out on the path of discovery everyday. It is why I never get bored with this "job" you've so entrusted me with. While rare to have the beacon of change presented before your eyes, it still happens on occasion and the one in a million is why I taste thousands of wines each year to only offer a few...which brings us to the Alchimie. If you could swirl a mouthful of Vosne-Romanee, youth, vibrancy, old-vine traditional varietals and soil-inflected southern elements and continue to swirl until every last pocket was saturated with the silky elegance of this feminine wine, it would be the 3 Cellier. Nothing is out of place - nothing grotesque, no carnivals or freak-shows of 2007 fruit. With heirloom varietals woven into the base of Grenache and Syrah (Vaccar_se and Counoise), this wine is simply different than everything else. It is not the biggest example and it's not going to win any blind tastings but it doesn't follow or copy any other winery (except possibly Roumier) - it sets a new standard in finesse that has been sorely lacking in the post-luxury cuvee era of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Even at this bargain price-level, it is a sure-fire collectable that will be even harder to find a week from now. From the winery: "Soils: more or less deep, very stony, they are constituted for the main part of big rolled quartz mixed in some sandy red clay. The grape varieties are traditional - 13 grape varieties are admitted. The grapes mostly used are Grenache, Cinsault, Mourv_dre, Syrah, Muscardin, Counoise, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Vaccar_se. Tasting note for the 2007 Alchimie: Such as alchemists making gold with lead, Julien and Ludovic melted different terroirs and grape varieties (Grenache, Counoise, Syrah, Vaccar_se) from their vineyard of Chëteauneuf-du-Pape in order to obtain an elegant and luxurious wine, with red fruit notes but also blackcurrant and blackberry. This is a full-bodied wine balanced with softness - excellent with red meats. It could be kept in a good cellar from 10 to 15 years and it should be drunk at a temperature between 18í and 20í C." Parker always takes a lot of heat for one thing or another (which he masterfully deflects) but give him credit for somehow tasting a few of the wines from this source - this is as underground as it gets in the Rhone and I was quite surprised when I saw this review last year. As an example, this would be like Parker stumbling down the streets of the Lower East Side, venturing into a wayward alley and finding a glowing door at the end with 3 Cellier scratched into it: Domaine des 3 Cellier is set to jump on the world stage with a feline purr instead of the typical adolescent roar of massive fruit and oak. As their own main attraction, they don't need to prove anything to anyone except themselves. Thankfully, I'll be along for the ride. This parcel is directly from the winery cellar with perfect provenance. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this cellar-door price. Domaine des 3 Cellier is not available in the US and barely available anywhere - we cannot get a second shipment (the winery is sold out of all the 2007s): 2007 Domaine des 3 Celliers Chateauneuf du Pape "Alchimie" Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Rhone8671