2018 Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf Du Pape (750ml)

Laurent Charvin has only 10 ha of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and works with mostly one variety of grape - Grenache. Until recently, Laurent was almost the only grower to still vinify traditionally, with whole-cluster fermentations. Now others have taken his lead. In addition to leaving the stems, Laurent’s élevage is uniquely in concrete tank, no barrel. He is regarded as one of the top winemakers in the appellation.

The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape is composed of 82% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 4% Vaccarese and 4% Counoise from an average of 60 year old vines

"Dark glistening red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, baking spices, garrigue and candied flowers, and a smoky mineral flourish appears as the wine opens up. Sappy, sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors joined by hints of allspice and bitter chocolate. Smooth and seamless in texture, showing superb finishing clarity, gently gripping tannins and strong, spicy persistence. This is a somewhat more brawny wine than usual for Laurent Charvin, but it still retains the domaine's trademark balance and energy." 94-96 points - Josh Raynolds (Wine Advocate, December 2019)

""The Châteauneuf du Pape from Laurent Charvin is made entirely with whole clusters, fermented and raised in cement and the wine bottled unfiltered after twenty-one months elevage. The cépages here is eighty-five percent grenache and five percent each of syrah, mourvèdre and vaccarèse. Only the syrah is relatively young, with the vines now closing in on a quarter century, with everything else at least sixty years of age. The 2018 version comes in listed at 14.5 percent octane and offers up a beautifully complex and spicy bouquet of red and black raspberries, smoked meats, stony soil tones, bonfire, pepper and a veritable smorgasbord of spice tones from the combination of garrigue and all those whole clusters. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with a great core of fruit, superb soil signature and grip, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. This is a great young bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape! (Drink between 2030-2075)" 95 points - John Gilman (View From the Cellar, September 2020)