Chapelle St. Theodoric Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Grand Pin 2017
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Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Traditional whole-cluster vinification, indigenous yeast fermentation and aged in various ages of demi-muids. Harvested late, well into October. Usually harvested a little later than Guigasse, but at the top of the Pignan hill, in very light sandy soil. Very low average yields of 15hL/ha. Purity, finesse and great aromatics are the hallmark of the Grand Pin, a Burgundian inspired Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Cut from the same cloth, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Grand Pin has an incredibly Provençal bouquet of spiced red fruits, dried flowers, cedary spice, and herbes de Provence. Showing the vintage’s sunny, sexy profile, it’s medium to full-bodied, has sweet tannins, no hard edges, and a great, great finish. With lots of stem influence, give bottles 2-3 years in a cold cellar and enjoy over the following 10-15 years. This is another brilliant wine from this label that readers will be thrilled to have in the cellar.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Grand Pin is 100% whole-cluster Grenache from the sandy soils of the Pignan lieu-dit, adjacent to Rayas. Perhaps it is the power of suggestion, but I thought I detected a pine-like edge to the cherry-and-herb aromas. There's a lacy delicacy to this full-bodied wine's texture, supple, refined and elegant, nearly ethereal, yet with great persistence on the finish, folding in hints of Mexican chocolate and complex spice notes of coriander, star anise and clove.
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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.