Yes, this is the red wine section. No, you didn’t wander off to Tripadvisor on accident although, I would go in a heartbeat!
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a village, or a “Commune” as it were, in the Rhône wine region in Southern France. The literal translation is “the Pope’s new castle” and is in fact where Pope John XXII built his castle back in the 14th century. But there was a castle there already, and grapes, and wine. Let’s focus on the wine, shall we?
Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes in red AND white (arguably pink) but the blanc is harder to get and this is the red wine section, remember? Red Châteauneuf is the focus here and is in my top five favorites. The red is primarily a Grenache based blend from Southern Rhône, a sacred wine region in France that is officially home to 13 different types a grapes. Châteauneuf-du-Pape can have a bit of Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault among others but what’s really important to know is this isn’t a wine for sissies. It’s bold, spicy, ripe with cherry and raspberry notes that fill your nose. It stops you in your tracks and makes you be in the moment. That, to me, is the soul of a meditation wine.
While I would love to have the means to pop for a 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin Chateau Beaucastel, it ain’t happening. $200 a bottle is not my speed but it is a bucket list item! Decanter magazine has a great article on some amazing 96 pointers that are worth popping a few extra dollars for and some are very reasonable too!
I recently bought a few bottles of Benjamin Darnault’s 2021 Chateaunuf-du-Pape and am finding it hard to not sneak another bottle out. It’s recommended that you tuck this away in your wine closet for several years. Yeah, right.
Not being a huge fan of Cabernet, I did not expect to fall for this wine as I did, based on other’s impressions. Wow, was I wrong. There is something so comforting about Chateaunuf-du-Pape that it’s really hard to explain. Before I started really learning about wine, I had this wine in my head from a couple episodes of Castle where he references is and pours some. If Rick Castle drinks it, it has got to be good, right?
Fast forward a half a dozen years or so when I really got into wine and the Chateaunuf-du-Pape appellation really means something to me, finally. I decided to get myself a bottle for my birthday and didn’t have to break the bank to get a beautiful 2019 H to H Chateaunuf-du-Pape. I fell in love. Plummy, jammy, spicy warm and sexy as hell. Yes, I said it.
I strongly recommend pairing with roast leg of lamb, a rich Moroccan tagine, a thick, juicy rib-eye or even better, a cool, breezy sunset wrapped in a cozy cardigan. This is definitely a comfort wine but you let me know what you think!
Slàinte!