Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2020

Location: France, Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Winemaker: Laurent Charvin

Grapes: Grenache, Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse, Syrah

Soil: sandy

Winemaking: fermented whole-cluster in large cement tank. Aged in cement tank for 18 months.

From us at M&L: Laurent Charvin heads this tiny family estate in the north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; the 8 hectares of vines that lie in Châteauneuf-du-Pape proper (as opposed to the 13 hectares the domaine holds in Côtes-du-Rhône) are cooler than most vineyard sites in the region. These beautiful vines, between 50 to 80 years old, are planted mostly to sandy slopes with northern exposure. Laurent is the sixth generation to head Domaine Charvin, and the first vigneron of the estate to bring a proprietary bottling to the commercial market.

Laurent focuses on the core tenets of quality winemaking—caring for old vines with grace and humility, keeping vine yields very low, and intervening as little as possible in the cellars. His wines are predominantly Grenache-based, with varying, smaller amounts of Mourvèdre, Vaccarèse, Syrah, plus some others such as Carignan and Bourboulenc. The fruit is hand-harvested with stems intact and does not go through de-stemming, as is typical in the region; all aging occurs in cement.

The 2018 vintage had heavy spring rains and little wind coming in from the Mistral, so yields were significantly lower…but a hot and dry summer morphed into a cool and dry September (with a sprinkling of rain in August) and the remaining grapes ripened beautifully. Nature gives, nature takes, but with the Charvin family’s deep care for the health of the vines, adapting to each moment in the world, their wines show strong elegance, firm poise, and utter drinkability today, tomorrow, and fifty years from now. The fruit was fermented whole-cluster in cement; the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered after 21 months élevage. Besides the Syrah, all of the grapes came from 60 year old vines. Expect a perfect marriage of dark berry fruits, sun-baked stones, black peppercorn and hints of ember edged by purple flowers. Sturdy and polished, effortlessly smooth, a coating of dark sapid qualities in the mouth that feel like sinking into your favorite chair. This drinks deliciously now, but will develop well into 2050. -Lennie