With football in season and a chill in the evening air, autumn is just around the corner. We haven’t abandoned the rosé or Chablis just yet, but we’re making preparations for the new season.
And there’s no better match for cool weather than Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The best Châteauneufs all contain a splash of southern sunlight, combining the region’s rugged, sunbaked earthiness with rich, mouthfilling fruit.
On the 2016 vintage, Josh Raynolds of Vinous wrote recently: “If exuberant ripe fruit, harmonious tannins and an overall impression of generosity and lushness are what you’re after in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, then 2016 has plenty to offer. But the best wines also display real energy, making this a standout vintage.”
Today’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from one of the appellation’s foremost producers. Jacqueline André tends her ancient 140-year-old vines with the care and attentiveness of a loving parent. The original organic and biodynamic source in Châteauneuf, André’s wines are a standard for elegance and clarity.
Even from a warm vintage with perfectly ripe fruit and rich deep material, Jacqueline André’s wines retain vibrancy and life. She’s a master of balance, a consistent quality in her wines she attributes to biodynamic viticulture, and careful choice of harvest dates.
André’s 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a masterpiece. Though it’s lush, intense, and enormous, it achieves it all without becoming flat or dry. Look for notes of plum, licorice, raspberry jam, and tapenade in the nose — the mouth is dense and extremely long, with bold flavors of cherry jam and wood bolstered by rich, voluptuous tannins.
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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016
bottle price: $58
FREE EAST COAST SHIPPING ON ANY 12 BOTTLES