Ep 228: The Greats - Châteauneuf-du-Pape

We begin a new series on the great wines of the world. Every so often we will profile one of the greatest wines on earth, talking about the history, the terroir, and why these wines are so special. We begin with the Southern Rhône gem: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Here are some of the notes from the show: The Greats: Chateauneuf du Pape Variable Appellation in southern Rhone that makes about 1 MM cases per year Expensive and great because: tastes great, limited supply, and expensive winemaking techniques  Profile: Rich spicy, full-bodied reds – product of Warm-climate viticulture. Can be tannic or jammy, White and (rare) rose are made too The new generation in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is ambitious, quality minded and eager to show that their wines are worth the money. They keep some traditional ways of making the wine but are not afraid to use modern techniques as well. The wine is consumed relatively young -5-6 years after bottling    Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Location In southeastern France/Southern Rhône about 2 miles/3 km east of Rhône river and 12 km/7.5 miles north of Avignon Communes: Bedarrides, Courthezon, Orange, Sorgues History: “Pope’s new castle” is translation Pope Clement V Bertrand de Got, was elected pope in 1305. He transferred the papacy to Avignon in 1309. Successor John XXII credited with developing papal vineyard in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, also developed Papal palace in Avignon Following schism -- CndP and Avignon went back to countryside, wine was not important here until the 18th c (1700s) Popes left, castle passed to the archbishop of Avignon, but it was too large and too expensive to maintain La Nerthe or La Neste first in 1785 had an estate bottling 1787 Thomas Jefferson was in the region and didn’t taste the wines – not relevant at that point Phylloxera hit CndP right after it hit Gard in the Languedoc – devastating. Production not up to pre-phylloxera levels until the 1950s Grapes 90% is red wine, used to add white to add freshness to red Today typical blend: 50-70% Grenache 10-30% Mourvedre Up to 20% Syrah Cinsault Counoise and Vaccarese Up to 10% Clairette, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc (whites) Reds: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picpoul noir, Terret noir Whites: Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picardin Others: Clairette Rosé, white and pink Picpoul and Grenache)   The Land: Variation – soils, mix of grapes, mesoclimates, differences in vinification  Soils: Some large pebbles – galets –in many vineyards. Retain heat, good for low, bush-trained vineyards (gobelet). Mainly varied soils –some calcareous, some rocky Most own parcels in varied areas – blending Climate: Hotter sites – tough when young, concentrated. South facing slopes can be too hot, especially with heat retaining pebbles. Blends from different subzones – work best, some single vineyards (can be too big)     Top producers: Chateau Rayas Chateau de Beaucastel (Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Domaine Henri Bonneau (Réserve des Célestins and Cuvee Marie Beurrier) Domaine de Marcoux – 2 sisters run it (Cuvée Vieilles Vignes), biodynamic Clos de Papes Domaine de Pegaü – classically styled wines (Cuvee Laurence) Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Les Cailloux (Cuvee Centenaire)   Recent great vintages: 2005, 2007, 2010, 2015, 2016   Please support our (delicious) sponsor, HelloFresh: A meal kit delivery service that shops, plans and delivers your favorite step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat and enjoy! Delivered right to your door, with a variety of chef-curated recipes that change weekly, this is a new way to eat and cook! We love it!  For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit www.hellofresh.com and enter WINE30. You won't regret it!      Get the back catalog on Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.