Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2018
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Chateau Mont-Redon occupies one of the most exceptional vineyards areas of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, with a spectrum of soils unique in the region. The thirteen Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation varieties reach perfect ripeness and concentration on its high, stony plateau, yielding a wine great depth and longevity, with an adapted aging in oak barrels, during 10 to 12 months. The spicy, fragrant red fruit bouquet, intense, plummy flavors and firm tannic structure end in a long, balanced finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A great Chateauneuf from a vintage that was overshadowed by 2019 and 2020, but deserves to be taken seriously. Just beginning to pick up complex bottle maturation character this still has great damson plum fruit. Then comes the most beautiful thing about this wine, the amazing texture on the expansive palate, making it so rich and sensual. Very graceful at the long and delicately dry finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The base wine, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape has a healthy ruby/purple color to go with its classic Southern Rhône notes of ripe red and black fruits, lots of earthy garrigue, some ground pepper, and a touch of minerality. All this carries over to the palate, where the wine is medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a great mid-palate and sweet tannins. It certainly shows the upfront, charming style of the vintage, but I love its mid-palate, it’s beautifully balanced, and is just a seriously classy wine from this estate, which deserves more recognition today. Enjoy bottles any time over the coming 15 years or more.
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Wine Spectator
Dark and winey, with waves of ganache, steeped plum, blackberry reduction and melted black licorice rolling through. The finish is scored with warm earth and smoldering tobacco notes, showing ample grip for the cellar. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse and Cinsault.
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With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.