2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere Cuvee Vieilles Vignes (750ml)

Grenache from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France

B-21 Top Recommendation
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“Harmonious and well made”

James Suckling

From a “charming, forward vintage” producing “a sea of beautifully textured” wines according to Jeb Dunnuck, the elegant 94 pt. 2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge offers fresh aromatic garrigue-laden fruit perfectly balanced by vibrant, velvety tannins on a lingering, graphite-scented finish, a deliciously silky CDP ready to enjoy for years to come at a terrific value price.

Founded by the Maret family in 1914, third generation Michel Maret inherited Domaine de la Charbonniere from his father in 1973 and has worked alongside his talented daughters Caroline and Veronique since 2004, producing an array of CDP’s that have steadily risen in quality over the last two decades. Sourced from across 19.5 hectares of vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape, the estate’s holding include 50 year old vines in the Charbonniere lieu-dit as well as a parcel in Le Crau adjacent to Vieux Telegraphe with vines averaging 75 years of age, planted in clay sandy soils strewn with the region’s renowned rounded stones called galets roules. Hand harvesting with selective sorting and employing minimal intervention in the cellar, winemaker Veronique Maret vinified the 70% Grenache and 15% Syrah together and the 15% Mourvedre separately before aging the refined 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape mainly in wooden vats with small amounts in foudre, tank and used barrels, yielding a smooth, traditionally styled CDP with fresh acidity and well-integrated tannins built to “age gracefully” according to Jeb Dunnuck.

Described by Vinous critic Nicolas Greinacher as offering “divine drinking pleasure,” the fresh and appealing 94 pt. 2020 Domaine de la Charbonniere Rouge ranks among the top-scoring Chateauneuf du Pape's of the vintage for far less than the region's higher profile estates, a top value CDP for Southern Rhone collectors to savor over the next decade.

98WA

Even better than I remember it prior to bottling, the 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes—90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre—boasts bold, concentrated aromas of black cherries, dark chocolate and red raspberries. It's full-bodied, rich and expansive, framed by silky tannins that ease into a long, elegant finish. Despite its size, there's a fine sense of proportion to this wine and a notable absence of alcohol-derived heat.

98 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (May 2024)

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$64.98

Compare At: $69.99

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