Featured Wine: 2011 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Les Sables de La Crau

“The Pope’s New Castle”

This week’s wine comes from the famed area Chateauneuf-du-Pape which translate to “The Pope’s New Castle. Or as I like to remember it as “I Love It When You Call Me Big Papa”.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape is located in France, found in the Southern Rhone and is known for producing Big Powerful Red Blends. The blends can constitute up to 13 different grapes, however the main 3 for Reds include Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre .

This wine is unique as it is entirely Grenache from a single area famed vineyard area, La Crau. The Vines here reaches age of over 100 years old. This wine stands out compared to the wines typically found here.

Jean-Marie Royer, story could almost be made into a Lifetime Movie. His family owned and farmed and created wines for over 100 years. His father passed away when Jean-Marie was just a child leaving him and his Grandmother with the land. Unable to work it themselves they leased out and sold their land to other farmers and producers for 20 years.

In 1986 Jean-Marie Royer started taking back parcels and pieces of the Estate back. Quoted from his interview with Wine Spectator

“But I was a young guy,”

“I didn’t know anything and had no one to kick me in the ass.”

“I needed to restart, to relearn everything from the ground up,”

Jean-Marie Royer
https://www.winespectator.com/articles/day-2-chateauneufs-big-and-small-46951

The resolute of his struggle and journey hopefully can be displayed through this wine. Les Sables is one of his more rare and esteemed wines; the 2011 Vintage he produced only 141 cases. With powerful aromas and body, finesse and complexity on the nose and palate that continue to develop and intertwine. A wine I am happy to enjoy and share. Cheers!