Chateau de Nalys Saintes Pierres de Nalys Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2018
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Spectator
Wine -
Suckling
James -
Dunnuck
Jeb -
Parker
Robert
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep, dark and profound red. An elegant nose, open with notes of red fruits. The palate is ample and supple, with tannins keeping a lovely frame. Overall, a rich wine, balanced between richness and freshness.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A silky yet rich and persistent offering, with leading red tea notes, mulled cherry and raspberry fruit at the core and a long, subtle mineral edge curling around the perfumed finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Muscardin, Counoise and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2032.
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberry, gravel, fresh mint and plum. Medium-bodied with lovely juicy fruit. Silky tannins. A bit smoky but with fresh black fruit and berries. Earthy, but the fruit is very transparent and clear. 69% grenache, 20% syrah, 5% cinsault, 4% muscardin, 1% counoise, 1% mourvedre. Drink now.
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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Saintes Pierres De Nalys is a total charmer, with up-front sweet red and black fruits as well as classic, Provençal notes of lavender, garrigue, and peppery spice. It shows the vintage’s forward, supple, incredibly drinkable style and is ideal for enjoying over the coming decade or so. Best after 2022.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Yields at Nalys were down by 60%, but the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Saintes Pierres is a solid effort, offering up slightly herbal and strawberry notes on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, it's on the crisp side but fruit-forward and relatively supple. Drink it over the next decade.
Other Vintages
2017-
Dunnuck
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
Wine
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Suckling
James -
Wong
Wilfred -
Parker
Robert
Since their very first vintage bottled under the Guigal name, in 1946, the Guigal family has produced a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The terroirs of Nalys realize a dream spanning three generations to join this leading prestigious and historic appellation. A property of 125 contiguous acres, Nalys is comprised of three spectacular plots within three of the best vineyards in the appellation: the famous “La Crau”, Nalys, and “Bois Sénéchal”. Already listed in regional land registers at the end of the 16th century, Chateau de Nalys is one of the oldest properties in the appellation, and begins a new chapter in the hands of Guigal.
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.