Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Renaissance 2018
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Jeb
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Robert
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Wine
Spectator - Decanter
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Deep red robe in appearance. Delicate nose with aromas of milky black fruits and a vanilla and woody side. Soft and elegant attack. The intensity rises on the fruity then the vanilla / butter side with a rich and creamy finish.
Blend: 60% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre
A perfect companion to veal with carrots.
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
• Checking in as a normal blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Renaissance has a slightly more modern bouquet that includes plenty of red and black currants, spicy oak, dried garrigue, and classic Mourvèdre meatiness. It too is full-bodied and has a supple, elegant, plush texture, bright tannins, and a great finish. The cuvée normally needs a good 3-4 years of bottle age, but the 2018 is one of the more approachable examples of this cuvée that I can remember. You can probably safely drink this any time over the coming 15 years or more.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Renaissance looks like another fine example of this cuvée, which is typically a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre. Hints of plum and black cherries accent raspberries on the nose of this full-bodied, velvety-textured and lush wine.
Barrel Sample: 92-95 -
Wine Spectator
Ripe but restrained, with a bit of charm to its raspberry and cherry coulis notes that mix with red tea, mineral and singed cedar accents. The fruit darkens up a touch through the finish, with a juicy edge lingering.
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Decanter
This is a modern, hedonistic style of Châteauneuf. Bay leaf, black olive, blackberry, demerara sugar and prune. Very ripe, but there is an inner freshness and good definition to the flavours. Already it is taking on the complexity of very ripe Grenache, and this should build. Alcohol is high. Organically grown on the sandy soils of Le Cristia and La Font du Loup. Aged for 18 months in oak before release, one-third in new barriques, two-thirds in demi-muid.
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Created by Etienne Grangeon 70 years ago, the property originally comprised 2 hectares of Grenache. It was developed further by the driving force of his son Alain, who joined the domaine in 1963. Passionate about viticulture, he notably contributed to the expansion of the domaine and planted improved grape varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre and created the identity of Cristia, based on the knowledge and respect of his soils.
Then, in 1999, Baptiste, Dominique and more recently Florent joined their father. Their priorities were to concentrate on selecting the best parcels in order to produce a wine of a great quality with a good ageing potential.
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.