Country: | France |
Region: | Rhone |
Winery: | Grand Veneur |
Grape Type: | Roussanne |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2010 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Le Miocene is made from 60% Clairette, 40% Roussanne
Pale yellow colour with hints of green, aromas of white flowers (may blossom, honeysuckle).
The palate is pleasantly balanced between liveliness and roundness, which brings out characteristics of dried apricot, honey and elderberry. A Châteauneuf du Pape white displaying a great finesse.
Best between 1 and 8 years.
Soil type Coming from the single vineyard named “La Fontaine”, the plot is facing north.It is made of clay-sand and limestone. Thanks to the northern orientation, it is always very well aired. This sector allow the Roussane and Clairette to mature in great conditions without losing freshness, which we believe is key point. Winemaking & ageing Whole-bunch pressing. Vinification in stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation temperature controlled at 15°C.
Review:
"The classic white from this estate is the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Miocene Blanc, and it shines in the vintage. Based on 60% Clairette and 40% Roussanne, it has a lighter gold hue as well as textbook aromatics of citrus, pears, and minty herbs. I love its balance, it’s medium-bodied, has the vintage’s fresher style, and outstanding length. It should evolve gracefully, and while the safe bet is to enjoy bottles over the coming 2-4 years, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this evolve for well over a decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (November 2022), 92 pts
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Le Miocene is made from 60% Clairette, 40% Roussanne
Pale yellow colour with hints of green, aromas of white flowers (may blossom, honeysuckle).
The palate is pleasantly balanced between liveliness and roundness, which brings out characteristics of dried apricot, honey and elderberry. A Châteauneuf du Pape white displaying a great finesse.
Best between 1 and 8 years.
Soil type Coming from the single vineyard named “La Fontaine”, the plot is facing north.It is made of clay-sand and limestone. Thanks to the northern orientation, it is always very well aired. This sector allow the Roussane and Clairette to mature in great conditions without losing freshness, which we believe is key point. Winemaking & ageing Whole-bunch pressing. Vinification in stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation temperature controlled at 15°C.
Review:
"The 2023 Châteauneuf du Pape Le Miocene Blanc is mostly Clairette but includes 40% Roussanne. Its vivid gold hue is followed by a beautiful perfume of stone fruits, grilled peach, minty flowers, and some spicy nuances. It's balanced and medium to full-bodied, with a kiss of background oak and flawless balance. It's a brilliant white from this talented family that readers will love to drink over the coming 4-6 years, if not upwards of a decade."
- Jeb Dunnuck (Importer Highlight: Fran Kysela ; July 2024), 93 pts
Grand Veneur Cotes Du Rhone Les Champauvins Blanc is made 100% Viognier. Located in the area known as "Les Champauvins", close to Domaine Grand Veneur. The soils are clay-sand and limestone. They enable the white grape varieties to ripen slowly, thus preserving their excellent aromatic finesse.
A great Viognier, conceived and produced with finesse and freshness in mind. Bright, limpid pale yellow color. Intense, delicate nose of floral and white-fleshed fruit aromas. Fresh, mineral and airy on the palate. White peach and pear aromas are the most expressive. The fruity characters are long-lasting, evolving into notes of apricot after a few hours' aeration.
All older vintage wines have been purchased from a single collectors cellar. Pictures can be requested before shipment.
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Le Miocene is made from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre .
An intense dark-ruby color. The nose develop aromas of ripe black fruit (such as blackberry), cherry and spice box. The palate reveals the presence of tannins, in high quantity and elegant. The finish is long and luxurious. This is the Châteauneuf du Pape expression, displaying all the characteristics of the terroir.
Soil type: Plots are located northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape and the vines are grown under organic process.The soil is marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. The GRAND VENEUR cuvee will express year after year a great power and aromatic complexity.
Winemaking & ageing: Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats and oak casks.
Review:
The 2022 Châteauneuf du Pape Le Miocene checks in as 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre, all destemmed, that was raised mostly in tank, with the Syrah and Mourvèdre in oak. It has a beautiful nose of ripe red and black fruits that give way to more licorice, black olive, peppery garrigue, and spices. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's balanced and has ripe, building tannins and a great finish. It's going to evolve gracefully for 10-12+ years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Les Origines is made from 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah
Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Deep and brilliant, purple-red colour. An exciting nose with aromas of black fruit (blackcurrant, cherry) spices and vanilla. This great aromatic complexity is found on the palate : the spices and ripe fruit appear with an elegant woodiness and harmonious tannins. The finish has good aromatic length and introduces a touch of liquorice and pepper.
A terrific Châteauneuf du Pape with great concentration and finesse.
Best between 2 and 20 years. Best to decant if young (less than 5 years old).
Soil type Extreme north of Châteauneuf du Pape. This plateau is made with a high quantity of red clay mixed with rocks. This area is considerated to be one of the best to produce rich and powerful red wines. By definition, LES ORIGINES will always deliver a great complexity and ageing potential. Winemaking & ageing Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats (grenache) and in oak casks (syrah and mourvèdre).
Review:
"The huge nose of violet pastilles, mulberries, smoked bacon and a touch of hot asphalt pulls you into this expansive but beautifully balanced Chateauneuf that’s packed with fine, powdery tannin. So much bitter-chocolate character, but this exactly matches the deep fruit and, at the long crescendo finish, there are fascinating balsamic and hot dry-earth touches. Drinkable now, but best from 2025."
- James Suckling (March 2022), 94 pts
Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc La Fontaine is made from 100% Roussane.
Vinification: direct whole-bunch pressing. Aged in French oak. Yield: 32 Hl / hectare
Yellow-gold hue. The nose is rich and offers aromas of citrus fruit, tropical fruit, quince, honey and almonds with a touch of vanilla. The palate is fat, with notes of wood and vanilla. The wine is rich, generous and elegant, with extraordinary length.
The Grand Veneur Estate
In 1320 Pope Jean XXII planted the first vines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but it was only in 1360 that the wines of the region first gained fame. Oddly, the wine that gave Chateauneuf-du-Pape its original reputation was the Blanc and not the Rouge. The white wine was a favorite of Pope Innocent VI. The Domaine dates back to 1826, having been founded at that time by Mathieu Jaume. Since 1979, Alain Jaume has run the Domaine and now has the help of his two sons: Sebastien and Christophe.
"Popes throughout history have liked their juice, and when the papal see moved to Avignon in the 13th century, that juice was Chateauneuf-du-Pape ("the pope's new castle") made from grapes grown nearby in the Southern Rhone. The castle is a ruin now, the papal court long gone back to Rome, but the wines that bear the pope's coat of arms emblazoned on the bottle are still produced more or less according to the long-standing recipe. Not every winemaker uses all 13 of the grapes in the proscribed blend, though. At Domaine Grand Veneur, an estate that dates to 1826, Alain Jaume and his sons Sebastien and Christophe emphasize Grenache blended with Syrah and Mourvedre."
- Los Angeles Times
"Improved Chateauneuf with very accomplished, stylish reds since the late 1990s; also very good Vacqueyras and Cotes-du-Rhone Villages." - Anthony Dias Blue's pocket guide to wine 2006
"Grand Veneur is one of the most brilliant estates in Chateauneuf du Pape as well as the force behind the negociant wines sold under the Alain Jaume label. Virtually everything they produce has merit. Some of this estate’s 2009 red wines are just hitting the market as they are bottled early to preserve their fruit and freshness. I can’t say enough about the job Alain Jaume’s two sons, Sebastian and Christophe, have done with this estate. The impeccable attention to detail in the vineyards, the meticulous vinification, and the careful bottling benefit every consumer." - Wine Advocate (#190, August 2010)
"Great bargains continue to emerge from Domaine Grand Veneur as well as from their negociant arm of the business, labeled Alain Jaume" - Wine Advocate (#195, June 2011)
"Don't miss the following "Best Buys" reviewed in several previous issues: Alain Jaume 2010 Cotes du Rhone Haut de Brune (87), Grand Veneur 2010 Cotes du Rhone Blanc (88), Grand Veneur 2009 Cotes du Rhone Les Champauvins (89), Grand Veneur 2009 Cotes du Rhone Reserve Blanc (89), Grand Veneur 2010 Cotes du Rhone Blanc (91), Grand Veneur 2010 Cotes du Rhone Rose (86), Grand Veneur 2009 Lirac Clos de Sixte (91), and Grand Veneur 2010 Cotes du Rhone Blanc de Viognier (89). Credit Christophe and Sebastian Jaume for making this one of the most impeccably run estates in the Rhone Valley. To reiterate, this is an estate at the top of its game and the wines remain fairly priced as well. The 2010 Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Papes reveal youthful, crisper, more focused styles than their 2009 counterparts. I suspect their pHs are lower, the total acids slightly higher, and the alcohols perhaps .5 to 1% lower across the board." - Wine Advocate (issue197, October 2011)"
The Grand Veneur Vineyard
The estate is located in the commune of Orange and consists of 50 hectares (123 acres). It covers four different appellations: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes-du-Rhone Villages, Cotes-du-Rhone and Lirac.
The family produces wines under two labels:
- Domaine Grand Veneur – Estate
- Alain Jaume – Negociant
Some wine by Grand Veneur:
Annual production:
- Cotes du Rhone Villages CHAMPAUVINS : +/- 9,000 cases
- Lirac Rouge CLOS DE SIXTE : +/- 5,000 cases
- Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Grand veneur : 3,300 cases
- Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Grand veneur : 400 cases
- Chateauneuf du Pape LES ORIGINES red : 1,700 cases
- Chateauneuf du Pape LA FONTAINE white : 300 cases
- Chateauneuf du Pape VIEILLES VIGNES : 530 cases
Wolfberger Cremant d Alsace Rose Brut is 100 % Pinot Noir.
The wines from Alsace date back to 589 A.D., but Cremant d’Alsace has more recent beginnings, starting in 1900. Dopff au Moulin (founded in 1574) was the first to produce Cremant d’Alsace in the Method Champenoise style. Cremant d’Alsace received AOC status for sparkling wine in 1976. Two types of Cremant are produced today, resulting in about 2.5 million+ cases of Cremant d’Alsace production annually:
Wolfberger's Cremant d'Alsace Rose Brut displays a lovely delicate salmon color with active, small bubbles. Round and full-bodied, this Cremant Rose displays beautiful watermelon and strawberry aromas cascading in a smooth finish. A minimum of 15 months bottle aging before disgorging ensures ripeness.
Faust The Pact Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot.
Dark, exotic spice-with star anise in the lead—opens on a complex nose layered with sweet tobacco, savory herb and olive notes, and a lovely vein of graphite minerality under briar-kissed blueberry. The palate is electric, its deceptive power couched in chalky, tight-knit cannins. Black raspberry joins blueberry, with wet slate and soil-driven, iron-rich minerality spilling into a long, perfectly balanced finish, serious and hedonistic at once.
Review:
So many graphite and pencil shaving aromas here with blue fruits. Slate and tar undertones. Black and red currants. Some ash. Medium-bodied with open grained tannins. So much iron and rust with lead and mussel shell. Then turns to pine cone and cedar. Really complex and flavor intensive. Love to drink it now as a young wine. This evolves all the time. It will age beautifully. Better in three to five years. But I can’t wait.
- 97 Points James Suckling
Chateau Cabrieres Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Confidentiel is 50% Clairette and 50% Grenache Blanc.
Beautiful pale gold color with green reflections. The wine is clear and bright.
A nose of great finesse and richness, with hints of pear and citrus fruit. Racy and dense, with good persistence, this wine will develop nicely on the mineral side.