Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Deep ruby. Potent scents of candied raspberry and cherry compote are complicated by sexy floral and oak spice flourishes. Seamless, round and appealingly sweet, offering intense red berry liqueur and lavender pastille flavors and hints of spice cake and white pepper on the back half. Finishes sappy and very long, showing seamless tannins and lingering red fruit preserve and allspice qualities. The terroir ranges from stone and gravel to sand and limestone soils. The vineyards are divided into 61 separate parcels that are dispersed in different lieux-dits in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Most of their vines are planted in two different soil types, rocks and stones over clay and limestone and they have also sandy soils as well. The average of their vines is more than 60 years of age, with some vines being more than 100 years old. The grapes are harvested by hand and partially destemmed (30-40%), depending upon the ripeness of the vintage. Vinification takes place in cement tanks over a period of 18-to-23 days. Certain lots of grapes are harvested separately, but generally, two or three grapes are vinified together. 30-40% of the wine is raised in foudre, 40-50% in enamel-lined tanks, and 15-20% in new oak. ABV 14%