Frank Mangio / SD / 11-30-07
The #1 wine in the world this year according to Wine Spectator is from the southern French district of Chateaneuf-du-Pape ( shatoe noof-do-pop), part of the Rhone Valley. Not only was this appellation first, it had 4 other wines in the top twenty. What’s going on there!
The grape of choice in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape area is Grenache. This high powered grape demands low yield to produce its dynamic berry and current flavors along with traces of minerality. No stranger to vintages, this was France’s first wine district. The terroir can be complex: sand, clay, limestone and most interesting, stones. These stony areas provide muscular, dark wines high in alcohol. About 7,900 acres are in vine, with 95% red and 5% white.
The #1 Wine Spectator selection was the Clos des Papes 2005 priced at $80.
The ’03, ’04 and ’05 vintages all were historically excellent in character and body.
The winemaker is no stranger to accolades. He had the #2 wine in 2005’s list.
The Clos des Papes red is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mouvedre and the rest Syrah, all native to the Rhone Valley. The wines are aged in small wooden barrels for up to 12 months before the blend is put together. The pervasive stones that you see everywhere are vast rock beds from the receding Rhone River, and originally from melting glaciers.
For you travelers, yes there is a village of Chateaneuf-du-Pape, ( it means new castle of the pope) about 60 miles north of Marselle. Wine is king here and all tourism and attractions evolve around these lovely varietals. Wine shops abound and tasting is assumed and most don’t charge for a healthy sip. “It’s the only way we know how to do it,” declared one wine shopkeeper. The long viticultural history attracts many to this traditional European village.
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