Vintus

Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateauneuf du Pape

Guigal produces gorgeous, sublime Chateauneuf-du-Pape, with beautiful concentration and impeccable balance.  Châteauneuf-du-Pape is considered the highest quality appellation in the Southern Rhône Valley.  The vineyards are planted on unique stony soils, producing rich, complex red wines with great aging potential. The wines are composed of a blend of any of the eight red varieties permitted in the appellation, but Grenache and, to a lesser extent, Mourvedre and Syrah dominate. Marcel Guigal produces an excellent Châteauneuf-du-Pape, selecting wines from numerous high quality growers for aging and bottling in his cellars in Ampuis. The long ageing process Guigal gives his Chateauneufs, rivaled only by a few other producers in the region, gives these wines beautiful texture and harmony.  These wines are rich and heady when young, and will age and improve for many years in bottle. Composed of old Grenache (80%), Syrah (10%), Mourvèdre (5%), and a blend (5%), they are excellent values.

• 2006 Vintage

  • "Bright ruby. Sexy, perfumed aromas of raspberry preserves, potpourri and Asian spices, with a touch of anise in the background. Juicy and appealingly sweet, showing very good depth and vivacity to its red fruit and floral pastille flavors. Picks up a smoky quality with air and finishes with excellent clarity, silkiness and length. This is already drinking very well."  92 Points International Wine Cellar

  • "The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape, which has been released, is a winner. This is an underrated vintage, sandwiched between two greater years, 2005 and 2007, but it is certainly a top vintage that is probably being discounted by retailers. This wine has a dark plum/ruby/purple-tinged color and a big, sweet kiss of creme de cassis, kirsch, cedar, spice, and balsam wood. With outstanding intensity, full-bodied power, and a long, rich, silky finish, it should drink well for up to a decade." 91 Points Wine Advocate

• 2005 Vintage

  • "There are some wines that silence the panel with their greatness, wines that knock us back in our seats to stare, slack-jawed. This is one of them. It's not just that it's huge, mouthfilling in flavor and tough as nails; it's more that it's incredibly succulent, as if built out of some sort of stone that gives up juice. For all its intensity and ferrous minerality, it remains fresh, the red fruit and spice seeming to go on forever." 96 Points Wine & Spirits Magazine

  • "The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape is a must buy. It boasts a deep plum/ruby color as well as a rich bouquet of blackberries, kirsch, spice box, pepper, grilled herbs, and meat juices. With supple tannins, full body, and beautiful texture and depth, it should drink nicely for 10-15 years." 93 Points Wine Advocate