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B-21 Top Recommendation
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Michel Maret, passionate, yet a man of very, very few words, inherited Domaine de la Charbonniere from his father in 1973. It was Maret's grandfather, Eugene Maret, who originally purchased the domaine, in 1912, a gift for his wife – her father a top winemaker in the village. Michel christened the domaine, naming it for one of the many parcels which comprise its multiple holdings – a particularly fine plot situated in the eastern sector near Courthezon.
In addition to the 50-year-old vines in the Charbonniere lieu-dit, their oldest vines are based in the renowned Le Crau lieu dit (adjacent to the Brunier family's ancient plot); a site covered with those well-known galets roulés. In total, the estate now covers 45 acres in Chateauneuf, producing up to 8 individual cuvees based on vintage conditions.
These new cuvees are the work of Michel Maret's highly talented, immensely gifted daughters – the fourth generation to join the family estate – Caroline and Veronique. They began converting the estate to organics shortly after joining their father in 2004, and the results of their work are phenomenal. Each vintage they've produced – 2007, 2010, 2012 – from bud break to bottling have been better than the one preceding. |
94WS #30 Top 100
93JS
92JD
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Features the dense, dark, ripe profile of the vintage, with a core of steeped currant, fig and boysenberry fruit, supported by a dense structure, notes of dark earth, tobacco and bitter cocoa, and a long finish that ripples with latent energy. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2023 through 2037.
94 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (2019)
#30 - Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2019
This has impeccable richness and ripeness, packed with dark berries and delivered in a seamless, dynamic palate. Long and delicious Châteauneuf here. Drink or hold.
93 points, James Suckling (Aug 2018)
Tasted out of bottle, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a beautiful wine from this team that exudes elegance. Black raspberries, garrigue, flowers, and incense notes all give way to a medium to full-bodied, silky, beautifully balanced red that has sweet tannin and a great finish. This classic cuvée is 70% Grenache and 15% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, mostly destemmed and aged in barrel and stainless steel.
92 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Aug 2018)
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