Domaine de Pignan Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Coralie et Floriane”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- The vines are planted in three lieux-dits: les Bois de la Ville, le Bosquets, and of course, Pignan.
- The average age of the vines these grapes grow from are 80 to 130 years old
- Domaine de Pignan’s top-end cuvee is named after the great-great-great-granddaughters, Corelie and Floriane, of the original owner.
- Limited production with only about 170 cases made per year.
Varietal Composition: 33% Grenache (130 years-old), 33% Mourvèdre (100 years-old), 33% Syrah (80 years-old)
Elaboration: Grapes are sorted and picked by hand. Maceration lasts from 25 to 30 days, in temperature control vats. De-stalking, regular release and treading. The wine is aged in a combination of 25% new, French oak barrels, demi-muid and tank for 12 to 18 months before bottling.
Tasting Notes: Very complex wine, this special reserve is unusual by the aromatic intensity of very ripe black fruits and spices (licorice, cloves). A full-bodied attack leaves the place quickly to gentle tannins, aromas of blackcurrant and blueberry with an overtone of thyme. The final is grandiose.
PRESS
2012: 92 pts – Wine Advocate
2015: 95 pts – Wine Advocate, 2015: 90 pts – Jeb Dunnuck, 2015: 90-92 pts – Vinous
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Domaine de Pignan has a rich, long history in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Antoine and Sophie Pécoul created the estate in 1855, with the acquisition of 5 hectares on the hillside next to the Pope’s castle. The property would be known as Domaine Antoine Pécoul.
The estate continued to be a family-owned property, remaining in the hands of the same family since it was originally created and passed down to multiple generations of family members. Since those early days, the subsequent generations have managed to triple the size of vineyards to their current size of 15 hectares.
Prior to 1960, the majority of the harvest was sold to negociants. Then in 1960, Louis and René Pécoul began producing, bottling, and selling their own wine under the Pécouls Frères label. The future was looking bright.
In 1989, Frédéric Charvin, the great, great, grandson of Antoine and Sophie, took charge of the estate, ushering in a new era and a new name for the estate: Domaine de Pignan. The future had arrived.