Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2019
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Aromas of blackberry, red cherry and baking spices. Smooth, concentrated yet balanced; flavors of tart cherries, red plums and light licorice. Very long finish.
Pair this wine alongside grilled steak, lamb roasted with prunes, olive tapenade.
Blend: 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Very ripe but restrained and subtle with black fruit, licorice and black olives, this is concentrated, spicy and focused. Compact, tannic core, then a very long, velvety finish with serious power and complexity.
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Wine Spectator
Kirsch, linzer and cherry purée notes stream through in this vibrant and expressive offering, displaying a lovely, silky feel from start to finish. Light iron and shiso hints filter through at the very end, adding range and subtle persistence. Drink now through 2034.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Moving to the classic 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape, this little gem should be snatched up by readers, as it’s as textbook as they come. Ruby/plum-hued, with a medium to full-bodied, round, elegant mouthfeel, it has ample red and black fruits, notes of peppery herbs and licorice, supple tannins, and a great finish. A wonderful 2019, it will have two decades of longevity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Much like the 2018 version, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is a plushly textured, easy-drinking wine. Hints of garrigue and briary notes accent red raspberries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky and expansive, easing into a lengthy finish. It's 78% Grenache, 11% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault, aged mostly in foudre and tank. Best after 2022
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Wine
While the family are strict traditionalists, they still allow us to make our North Berkeley Barrel Selection from wine raised in used Burgundy barrels we provide. Jean-Claude Sabon performs most of the vineyard work himself, while his son Thierry (who has a Ph.D in physics) manages winemaking duties.
Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf-du-Pape bursts forth from the glass with aromatics of crushed vanilla beans, Mexican chocolate, coffee, and a sandalwood warmth that we’ve come to recognize as the Mont Olivet signature. From 80-year-old vines, our barrel selection wine is usually 65% Grenache, with the remainder Syrah and Mourvèdre.
"La Cuvee du Papet," named for Joseph Sabon, Sr., (papet means “Grandpa”) is a selection of the finest lots in the cellar, and is acknowledged by many to be one of the most age-worthy, fascinating wines produced in the appellation.
North Berkeley Imports
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.