Croze-Granier “Anciens Pontifes” Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022.
80% Grenache, 10% Shiraz, 10% Mourvèdre. The last lot of this that I imported was sold out before it got to Australia so this a repeat order for more of the same. Certified organic.
Grown from a very special parcel of vines within the Clos des Papes, the most highly valued vineyard land in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, adjacent to the ruined medieval castle that had been the fortress of the Pope.
Having been nearly poleaxed by the aromatic eruption of the Croze-Granier Côtes-du-Rhône and Lirac, I was on my guard when I approached their Châteauneuf-du-Pape, fearing I might incur some kind of olfactory injury if I got too close, too quickly, and so it was that I almost fell into my glass because this is a wine of bathetic intrigue and subtlety – or so it seemed at first. There’s a lot going on here on the nose but it is very detailed and subtle – cherry jam, raisins, earth, and spice – and this is consequently a good wine to decant and allow to warm up from cellar temperature. But the initial apparent reticence is a trap because just when you’re thinking that this wine is a bit of a shrinking violet you take a sip and WHAM! you cop a vinous upper cut to the palate! In the mouth this is a marauding beast – explosively vigorous, tannic, massively full-bodied, and built to outlast earthquakes and hurricanes. It’s fresh as a daisy and has an effectively unlimited future before it. Completely world-class, all-comer beating CNDP. Highly recommended. Let yourself be sucked in and knocked out! And when I say this demands food, I really mean it. This is a tannic beast that reminds me strongly of top Barolo and yet exceeds it in terms of its muscular punch.
15.5% ABV.
Drink 2030 to 2045+
