2016 Chateauneuf du Pape
The critics don't lie: "The best in a generation," some say. "Easily the most interesting CDPs I have ever had," says another. "I love Some Good Wine," says every customer whoever walks in. For the past few months all I have heard about (except Trump) is just how great the 2016 vintage is. I decided to try some for myself and I have to admit, the critics haven't lied.....at least not yet.
For today, we have a stellar line up of some of the most classical styles of CDP that exist: Vieux Telegraphe, Cristia, Barroche and Beaurenard.
2016 Vieux Telegraphe Chateaunuf du Pape
Sale Price: $91.99, (Magnum:) $199.99
James Suckling 98 Points
Impressive, complex array of wild cherries, raspberries, garrigue herbs, lightly spiced pastry and stony, chalky minerals. Super-fresh florals. The palate has superb texture, roundness, completeness, depth and detail. Powerful yet elegant with powdery tannins and essence-like red fruit. Super-fleshy, supple and dense core, then strong at the edges. Layer upon layer peels away on the finish. Resounding finesse and equilibrium, showing the full potential of the plateau La Crau. Drink or hold.
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Pure:"
Sale Price: $137.99
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Similarly colored to the Signature cuvée, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure boasts a heavenly, classic Pure perfume of wild strawberries, kirsch, and black cherries intermixed with exotic spices, crushed flowers, nori (the seaweed wrapper used for sushi), and sandy, loamy, earthy notes. Possessing full-bodied richness and a multi-dimensional, ultra-fine, yet intense and powerful style on the palate, it has the purity of the vintage and is just a quintessential example of this cuvée that couldn't get any better. It reminds me of the 2005, only with more purity and freshness. It's already sensational (it's probably the most approachable vintage of this cuvée I remember) but this cuvée always gains depth and weight with bottle age. Give it 3-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following two decades. Hats off to the young Julien Barrot for yet another truly sensational wine. The brilliant Julien Barrot has recently completed work on his new cellar located just across from Clos de Pape, inside the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and he continues to make a pure, elegant style of wine from his roughly 32 acres of vines, most of which are on sandy soils. While the estate has produced wine for decades now (although the first commercial vintage was 2003), the first truly breakout vintage was 2005. He’s followed that up with a succession of incredible wines in just about every vintage. Looking at the 2016s, this is another great vintage here, and the wines resem
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Fiancee:"
Sale Price: $104.99
95 Points Wine Advocate
Produced from a 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah (the Grenache coming from 100-year-old vines) and aged in demi-muids, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Fiancee features smoky notes on the nose, hints of black olives and black cherries on the palate and a full-bodied, rich, velvety texture. Creamy and plush, the flavors linger on the finish. With production limited to 1,000 bottles, it may be hard to locate, and note that it isn't produced every vintage. Under the young and capable leadership of Laetitia and Julien Barrot, Domaine la Barroche represents a bright light in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The brother and sister team have 15 hectares in the appellation, mainly in the northern sector (generally cooler and sandier). Only 12.5 hectares (with an impressive average of 65-year-old vines) are currently producing, other portions having recently been replanted to white varieties or Counoise. The Signature is a terrific introduction to the house style, ripe and silky without going over the top, while the Pure bottling represents how great Grenache grown on sandy soils can be. There's now also a white version of Pure, made from Clairette. It, too, is a dramatic reflection of its pairing of grape variety and site. The 2008, at ten years of age, is nearing its end, but it still delivers plenty of pleasure and is a noteworthy success from a challenging vintage.
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Signature."
Sale Price: $129.99
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"The quality of what could be considered the “entry-level” cuvée from Barrot is the equivalent of most estate’s top wine, and the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Signature delivers the goods again. It’s almost too good and certainly not far behind the Pure cuvée. A blend of 62% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cinsault, Syrah, Vaccarèse, and Clairette Rose, brought up in foudre and demi-muid, it sports a head-turning bouquet of kirsch liqueur, blackberries, crushed herbs, and pepper. With a big mid-palate, full body, ripe tannins, and a rocking finish, it’s a no-brainer purchase that will keep for two decades. The brilliant Julien Barrot has recently completed work on his new cellar located just across from Clos de Pape, inside the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and he continues to make a pure, elegant style of wine from his roughly 32 acres of vines, most of which are on sandy soils. While the estate has produced wine for decades now (although the first commercial vintage was 2003), the first truly breakout vintage was 2005. He’s followed that up with a succession of incredible wines in just about every vintage. Looking at the 2016s, this is another great vintage here, and the wines resemble what was produced in 2010, although with slightly more elegance and approachability. I don’t see the 2017s hitting the heights of the 2005s, 2007s, 2010, or 2016s, but one thing I’ve learned after reviewing these wines since their debut is that they always show better from bottle than b." 2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Vielles Vignes
Sale Price: $117.99
99 Points Jeb Dunnuck
One of the gems in the vintage is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, and it’s about as beautiful an example of old vine Grenache as I could imagine. Sporting a deep purple color as well as a huge perfume of blackberries, black raspberries, garrigue, crushed flowers, and exotic spices, it hits the palate with a wealth of fruit, a stacked mid-palate, awesome purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit. Made from 100% old vine Grenache from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit, aged in one-third new barrels, it has a certain accessibility even today but will be at its best in 2-4 years and keep for 15+. It’s the finest wine ever made by Baptiste and readers need to find bottles of this elixir! ."
2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Renaissance
Sale Price: $86.99
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance is also a slightly more restrained, elegant version of the cuvée, yet that doesn’t mean it lacks concentration or depth. Terrific notes of black and blue fruits, violets, peppered meats, and licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, tight, backward beauty that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. As normal, the blend is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, brought up in one-third new oak barrels and the balance in demi-muids."
2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Classic
Sale Price: $47.99
92 Points Jeb Dunnuck
2016 Domaine de Beaurenard ‘Boisrenard’
Sale Price: $77.99
96 Points WineAdvocate
Just like the regular cuvée, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard includes all 18 of the appellation's permitted varieties, although it's mostly (66%) Grenache Noir. Strawberries and raspberries shine on the nose, followed by a full-bodied palate that's creamy-silky and lush but also bright, lively and long. It's a super effort, at what should be a realistic price.
For today, we have a stellar line up of some of the most classical styles of CDP that exist: Vieux Telegraphe, Cristia, Barroche and Beaurenard.
- 10% off any 6, 15% off any 12
- Wines Ready to Ship Mid-October
2016 Vieux Telegraphe Chateaunuf du Pape
Sale Price: $91.99, (Magnum:) $199.99
James Suckling 98 Points
Impressive, complex array of wild cherries, raspberries, garrigue herbs, lightly spiced pastry and stony, chalky minerals. Super-fresh florals. The palate has superb texture, roundness, completeness, depth and detail. Powerful yet elegant with powdery tannins and essence-like red fruit. Super-fleshy, supple and dense core, then strong at the edges. Layer upon layer peels away on the finish. Resounding finesse and equilibrium, showing the full potential of the plateau La Crau. Drink or hold.
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Pure:"
Sale Price: $137.99
100 Points Jeb Dunnuck
Similarly colored to the Signature cuvée, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure boasts a heavenly, classic Pure perfume of wild strawberries, kirsch, and black cherries intermixed with exotic spices, crushed flowers, nori (the seaweed wrapper used for sushi), and sandy, loamy, earthy notes. Possessing full-bodied richness and a multi-dimensional, ultra-fine, yet intense and powerful style on the palate, it has the purity of the vintage and is just a quintessential example of this cuvée that couldn't get any better. It reminds me of the 2005, only with more purity and freshness. It's already sensational (it's probably the most approachable vintage of this cuvée I remember) but this cuvée always gains depth and weight with bottle age. Give it 3-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following two decades. Hats off to the young Julien Barrot for yet another truly sensational wine. The brilliant Julien Barrot has recently completed work on his new cellar located just across from Clos de Pape, inside the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and he continues to make a pure, elegant style of wine from his roughly 32 acres of vines, most of which are on sandy soils. While the estate has produced wine for decades now (although the first commercial vintage was 2003), the first truly breakout vintage was 2005. He’s followed that up with a succession of incredible wines in just about every vintage. Looking at the 2016s, this is another great vintage here, and the wines resem
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Fiancee:"
Sale Price: $104.99
95 Points Wine Advocate
Produced from a 50-50 blend of Grenache and Syrah (the Grenache coming from 100-year-old vines) and aged in demi-muids, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Fiancee features smoky notes on the nose, hints of black olives and black cherries on the palate and a full-bodied, rich, velvety texture. Creamy and plush, the flavors linger on the finish. With production limited to 1,000 bottles, it may be hard to locate, and note that it isn't produced every vintage. Under the young and capable leadership of Laetitia and Julien Barrot, Domaine la Barroche represents a bright light in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The brother and sister team have 15 hectares in the appellation, mainly in the northern sector (generally cooler and sandier). Only 12.5 hectares (with an impressive average of 65-year-old vines) are currently producing, other portions having recently been replanted to white varieties or Counoise. The Signature is a terrific introduction to the house style, ripe and silky without going over the top, while the Pure bottling represents how great Grenache grown on sandy soils can be. There's now also a white version of Pure, made from Clairette. It, too, is a dramatic reflection of its pairing of grape variety and site. The 2008, at ten years of age, is nearing its end, but it still delivers plenty of pleasure and is a noteworthy success from a challenging vintage.
2016 Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape "Signature."
Sale Price: $129.99
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"The quality of what could be considered the “entry-level” cuvée from Barrot is the equivalent of most estate’s top wine, and the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Signature delivers the goods again. It’s almost too good and certainly not far behind the Pure cuvée. A blend of 62% Grenache, 18% Mourvèdre, and the rest Cinsault, Syrah, Vaccarèse, and Clairette Rose, brought up in foudre and demi-muid, it sports a head-turning bouquet of kirsch liqueur, blackberries, crushed herbs, and pepper. With a big mid-palate, full body, ripe tannins, and a rocking finish, it’s a no-brainer purchase that will keep for two decades. The brilliant Julien Barrot has recently completed work on his new cellar located just across from Clos de Pape, inside the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and he continues to make a pure, elegant style of wine from his roughly 32 acres of vines, most of which are on sandy soils. While the estate has produced wine for decades now (although the first commercial vintage was 2003), the first truly breakout vintage was 2005. He’s followed that up with a succession of incredible wines in just about every vintage. Looking at the 2016s, this is another great vintage here, and the wines resemble what was produced in 2010, although with slightly more elegance and approachability. I don’t see the 2017s hitting the heights of the 2005s, 2007s, 2010, or 2016s, but one thing I’ve learned after reviewing these wines since their debut is that they always show better from bottle than b." 2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Vielles Vignes
Sale Price: $117.99
99 Points Jeb Dunnuck
One of the gems in the vintage is the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes, and it’s about as beautiful an example of old vine Grenache as I could imagine. Sporting a deep purple color as well as a huge perfume of blackberries, black raspberries, garrigue, crushed flowers, and exotic spices, it hits the palate with a wealth of fruit, a stacked mid-palate, awesome purity of fruit, and a finish that won’t quit. Made from 100% old vine Grenache from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit, aged in one-third new barrels, it has a certain accessibility even today but will be at its best in 2-4 years and keep for 15+. It’s the finest wine ever made by Baptiste and readers need to find bottles of this elixir! ."
2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Renaissance
Sale Price: $86.99
95 Points Jeb Dunnuck
"The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Renaissance is also a slightly more restrained, elegant version of the cuvée, yet that doesn’t mean it lacks concentration or depth. Terrific notes of black and blue fruits, violets, peppered meats, and licorice all emerge from this full-bodied, tight, backward beauty that’s going to need 4-5 years of bottle age. As normal, the blend is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, brought up in one-third new oak barrels and the balance in demi-muids."
2016 Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Classic
Sale Price: $47.99
92 Points Jeb Dunnuck
2016 Domaine de Beaurenard ‘Boisrenard’
Sale Price: $77.99
96 Points WineAdvocate
Just like the regular cuvée, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Boisrenard includes all 18 of the appellation's permitted varieties, although it's mostly (66%) Grenache Noir. Strawberries and raspberries shine on the nose, followed by a full-bodied palate that's creamy-silky and lush but also bright, lively and long. It's a super effort, at what should be a realistic price.