Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge 2016
Château Mont-Redon
Terroir: Château Mont-Redon owns 100 hectares of the most perfectly-sited vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
More than half of their vineyards are planted on “diluvium alpin” soil on the highest Mistral (dry southern winds) blown plateaus of the appellation at elevations above 500 feet. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is famous for it’s “galet’s” or round, heat absorbing pebbles that have been shaped and polished over thousands of years by the Rhône River and spread over time along the appellations highest plains. In some portions of the vineyard this layer can exceed 2 meters in depth forcing the vines roots deep in search of the layer of red clay that lies beneath. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grown in these conditions produce wines that are generous, powerful, tannic and concentrated.
The remaining vineyards sit in two distinct soils, the first being primarily sand that was created when the Rhône River shifted course bringing with it the smallest parts of the soil, which broke into smaller pieces still (sand). These soils increases the aromatic character of Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre.
Urgonian Limestone soils make up the remaining vineyards. Soils here are shallower and give excellent results with the white varieties, rich with aromas of white and citrus fruits.
Vinification: Grapes are selected and harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small containers. Bunches are destemmed and vinified in temperature controlled tanks with frequent punch down using the “pigeage” technique to extract the finest tannins from the skins. Each varietal is vinified separately. Following fermentation, 50% of the wine is aged in small oak barrels in the cellars for 12 months with the remainder remaining in cask. The wines are then blended and aged an additional 4 months prior to bottling.
Additional Information
Intense nose with red fruit aromas combined with complex smokiness. Tight and focused tannins on the palate. Enjoyable now but requires a few years of bottle maturation to fully integrate aging notes. Very elegant and refined finish.
Technical Details
- Appellation: Châteauneuf-du-Pape
- Winemaker: Pierre Fabre
- Sustainability: Sustainable Practices
- Soil: Large stones, sand, red clay
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Pack Size: 12/375ml, 12/750ml
- Varietals: 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 5% Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Cinsault
Recent Press
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Score: 95 Points
Wine Enthusiast Author: Anna Lee C. Iijima
Date: Thursday, April 2, 2020"Decadent layers of blackberry and mulberry preserves are pierced by smoke and toast in this unctuous, glossy red. It's a warming, piquant sip marked by clove, cardamom and black pepper, but balanced freshly too. Tannins are fine and feathery. Oak tones are a bit flashy in youth but should meld beautifully through 2031." -
Score: 91 Points
The Wine Advocate Author: Joe Czerwinski
Date: Friday, August 30, 2019"Somehow, I missed getting a note on the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape last year, but since the 2015 seems to be the current release in the United States, let's hope this is still of some value to prospective purchasers. It's a solid effort, featuring scents and flavors of cherries, leather and dried spices. Full-bodied, silky and clean, it goes down easily now, but it should last a decade or more. As usual, it's about 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% mixed varieties (mainly Mourvèdre)."
