2019 Cellier des Princes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Sainte Vierge

2019 Cellier des Princes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Sainte Vierge

Vintage: 2019
Region: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Southern Rhône, France
Winery: Cellier des Princes (Négociant)
Varieties: 90% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre
Price: $22 (at Costco)
Rating: 91 Points
My Rating: 91 Points

The Review: Situated in the Southern Rhône Valley of France sits the wine region with one of the weirdest and most fun names- Châteauneuf-du-Pape (pronounced Chateau-noof doo Pop). Translating to "the Pope's new castle," CdP (not typing that whole name anymore) earned its name after the Pope moved temporarily to the region from 1309 to 1378. It is regarded as the most famous Grenache-based wines in the world, and this is another one of those magical regions which has benefited from great marketing. You'll be very hard-pressed to find a bottle for below $30.

The Rhône Valley is a fascinating place, because it is geographically divided into North and South, and each part specializes in a different grape. The Northern Rhône is renowned for Syrah, and the Southern Rhône is more known for Grenache. The wine you may have seen most commonly out of the Rhône Valley, Côtes du Rhône (which I've written about in the past), is usually a blend of these two regions and their grapes.

CdP is quite unique from a viticultural standpoint because the soil is incredibly rocky. In fact, it literally can look like a field of rocks underneath the vines! This not only adds an interesting mineral element to the wine, but it also traps some solar radiation and helps to ripen the grapes from below.

WOOO, BONUS PICTURE!

This particular wine- the 2019 Cellier des Princes CdP- is what is known as a Négociant wine. These sorts of wineries don't actually usually grow any grapes, rather they buy grapes or even finished wine and sell it under their own label! In very famous regions where there are legal production limits, Négociants can score some serious bargains and put out solid wines at a ridiculously low price point. In fact, one of the Barolo's I've written about on this page was so cheap for that reason, and I'd be willing to bet that this wine is the same way.

The wine presented bold aromas of red currant, rich plum, cherry, and some dark berry. There was a hint of smoked game (a CLASSIC CdP aroma), delicate baking spices, and some subtle floral notes. The taste opened up with a bright pop of acidity and rich red fruits like cherry, currant, and plum. There were aromas of dried herbs, mint, and violets, as well as some candied red fruits, baking spices, and a really nice mineral quality. For such a young wine, the tannins are already silky smooth and well-integrated.

For 22 bucks, I was thrilled with this wine. It presents everything you want in a CdP and then some! I'm sure it also helped that it was at Costco, so it was already cheaper than it probably should be. Négociant wines for the win! Sometimes! I've now seen this at 2 separate Costcos, so keep an eye out.

drink what you like,

db

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