From: Côtes-du-Rhone, France
Varietals: 85% Grenache, 15% Syrah
Tasting Notes: (From the Producer) "This wine presents an attractive deep, blood red dress to brilliant reflections. The nose is explosive, on figs and fresh mint aromas, underbar by mineral notes of flint. The palate is smooth with a beautiful mineral freshness. We find some aromas of fresh fruit just crushed on blackberries, wild plums and raspberries, underbar by notes of soft spices.A long and elegant final."
Pairing: This bold and elegant wine, with its deep red hue and aromatic complexity, pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes that complement its fruity and spicy profile. For a rich and hearty pairing, try a classic Burgundy beef stew with mushrooms and fresh carrots, where the tender meat and earthy flavors enhance the wine’s dark fruit notes. A lamb couscous will also work wonderfully, with the soft spices of the dish mirroring the wine’s underlying spiciness. For lighter fare, a bar tajine (sea bass) with spicy vegetables complements the wine’s freshness, while goat cheese with a pepper crust brings out its minerality.
Additional pairing options include duck confit with blackberry sauce, which highlights the wine’s fruit-forward character, or grilled lamb chops with rosemary, where the herbs play off the wine’s minty undertones. A wild mushroom risotto will accentuate the wine’s earthy complexity, and for a vegetarian option, consider a roasted vegetable ratatouille to match the wine’s vibrant acidity and spice notes.
The Duchess of Devonshire's Beef Bourguignon
By Meredith Etherington-Smith
About. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the French wine industry struggled to recover from the devastation caused by phylloxera, which wiped out millions of acres of vines. Chateauneuf-du-Pape faced significant issues with wine fraud and adulteration during this chaotic period. Pierre le Roy of Chateau Fortia spearheaded the establishment of regulatory standards, including rules on alcohol levels, yields, and grape varieties. This initiative eventually led to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system we know today.
An essential part of this regulatory effort was a detailed map of the Chateauneuf-du- Pape vineyards. When officials attempted to include Clos du Caillou on this map in 1936, the estate’s owner forcibly rejected them, resulting in a noticeable gap where Clos du Caillou should have been. Despite the estate’s subsequent inclusion in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC, wines from this area, like their ‘La Reserve’ 2022, are still classified as ‘Cotes du Rhone.’ At a recent tasting, this wine stood out among Cotes du Rhone and rivaled many Chateauneuf-du-Papes, highlighting its exceptional quality and value. Given its rarity and the fact that it was not produced in 2021 due to frost, it remains a highly sought-after find. We have only a few cases available.
The 2022 vintage for this blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah began with careful hand-picking and sorting, first in the vineyard and then again in the cellar, to ensure only the best fruit was used. Both varieties were de-stemmed and vinified separately in concrete tanks, allowing the natural wild yeasts to initiate fermentation. Throughout the 30-day maceration, various techniques were employed, including pump-overs, manual punch-downs, and delestage (rack and return), to extract color, flavor, and tannins gently. The Syrah was harvested first, starting on September 10th, with Grenache following on September 20th, ensuring each variety was picked at peak ripeness.
The wine was aged 14 months in large foudres and old barrels, imparting subtle oak influence while preserving the fruit's purity. The grapes come from sandy soils with round, polished stones on the surface, particularly from “Le Clos,” a terroir similar to the nearby “Les Cassanets” plot, known for producing wines with elegance and structure. This terroir, coupled with meticulous vinification and aging, allows the 2022 vintage to express the freshness and concentration of the fruit with a refined texture and complex layers.
