B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
"In addition to the brilliant reds, this estate fashions some of the greatest whites in the appellation." - Jeb Dunnuck
Château de Vaudieu is a long-time favorite among Châteauneuf-du-Pape insiders for their ultra-refined style and their impeccable terroir (neighbors to the cult icon Chateau Rayas, so it's no surprise), but their wines are typically very scarce in the U.S. market. So, when we came across a parcel of their dazzling 2022s, we jumped on it without hesitation.
Vaudieu's impeccable, sandy soils endow the estate's red wines with uncompromising elegance and finesse, while simultaneously imparting serious concentration to the flavor profiles and structures. "Unquestionably up with the top wines of the vintage" according to Dunnuck, the 2022 Val de Dieu, a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 20% Mourvèdre, shines in the early-harvest 2022 vintage, capturing all the vintage's bright, sunny character while remaining incredibly sleek and agile. The 96-point Amiral G and 97-Point L' Avenue are every bit the cult-caliber showstoppers that their reputations imply, the latter also "up with the crème de la crème of the vintage" per Dunnuck and the former a "structured and concentrated ... great success" in the words of Advocate's Yohan Castaing. Of course, as Dunnuck notes above, no serious Rhône fan should overlook the Vaudieu whites, benchmarks in every way, as exemplified by the prodigious, 97-point, "Hermitage-like" Clos de Belvedere, a cuvée of 100% Grenache Blanc that's the absolute height of the varietal expression.
This is a standout range the exemplifies one of the appellation's great benchmark estates, offering collectors a bevy of cellar-worthy stunners that can stand toe-to-toe with the very best that Châteauneuf has to offer. |