Domaine de la Charbonniere Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc "Cuvée Domaine"

Domaine de la Charbonniere Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc “Cuvée Domaine”

WHY WE LOVE IT

  • A decadent and opulent wine that is sadly often overlooked by its red counterpart, this white Chateauneuf has a fresh, tangy style with lots of lime.
  • Age-worthy, this comes from two old vine sites.

Varietal Composition: 40% Grenache Blanc, 40% Roussane, 20% Clairette

Elaboration: It is done in a traditional method: hand-picked harvest with a selective sorting of grapes in the vineyard and at the cellar (by using a sorting table).The harvest is made in two periods: the first time Roussanne and white Grenache are picked up. Then, few weeks later, around the end of the harvest, we do Clairette grape varieties. Just after the picking, the grapes are squeezed. The vinification is done with 20% new oak barrels, and the rest in stainless steel vats with temperature control. No malolactic fermentation is done in order to keep freshness and acidity.

Tasting Notes: Sumptuous bouquet of white flowers, citruses, lavender, and honey, as well as, flint stone. The mouth is round and creamy yet with a nice tension and a long finish.

PRESS

2023 – 94 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 Vinous

2022 – 94 Wine Spectator | 93 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 Vinous | 90-92 Wine Advocate

2021 – 92 Vinous | 94 Jeb Dunnuck | 91 Wine Advocate | 91 Falstaff

2020 – 94 Wine Spectator | 94 James Suckling | 92 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 Wine Advocate

2019 – 93 Decanter

2018 – 90 Wine Advocate | 94 James Suckling

2017 – 90 Jeb Dunnuck | 92 Wine Advocate | 93 Wine Spectator | 94 James Suckling

PRODUCER BACKGROUND

Domaine de la Charbonnière has been the singular passion of the Maret family since their purchase of this iconic property in 1912. The young and charismatic Veronique Maret is responsible for the recent meteoric rise of Charbonnière – Veronique is handling all winemaking and somehow also finding the time to run the Domaine’s sales activities. One of the most important changes Veronique made since taking over in 2012 was the move to organic viticulture. Organic farming really started to make its mark on the finished wines in 2014 and the press we’ve been seeing from that point on only validates our opinion on that front. Domaine de la Charbonnière’s holdings spread over 68 acres in some of the region’s most sought after lieu dits – 49 of these in Châteauneuf du Pape, 15 in Vacqueyras, 4 in Côtes du Rhône. Winemaking is traditional with a profound respect for grapes and terroir. Reds are fermented in conical wood vats, and aged in a mix of demi muids and barrels. While the majority of our Charbonniere references are red, Insiders have long sought out the property’s white wine offerings, which we make available to you with wide grins on our faces. These are all tactile wines that combine elegance and serious depth at once.

Print Review Shelf Talker (2023 – 92 Vinous)