Texier, Eric 2020 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes

The 2020 Texier CDP Vieilles Vignes is 100% Grenache from 80+ year-old vines on alluvial gravel of glacial origin called ‘galets roulés’ on the northern slopes of "la Crau." The wine shows a bright red/black color and astonishing aromas of violet, red currant and crushed raspberry over deep plum liqueur, just beautiful. The palate is lush and supple with bright acidity, with gorgeous round red and black fruits that coat the mouth and linger on the long finish with firm acidity, citrus, earth and mineral notes under the exuberant fruit. On day two, more typical notes of garrigue and black cherry emerge... Like a great red Burgundy made with Grenache, pair it with an elegant cuisine (or drink it for breakfast). Long term aging is certainly possible, but we recommend drinking it now, without restraint... -DL

"2020 Chateauneuf rouge : reminds me of 2000. In one word : balance. Between fruit and structure, acidity and roundness, aromatic expression and aging potential. This wine pleases me a lot. Unusual lately... Harvested late September under perfect conditions. Whole cluster of course, 18 months in demi muids. A tiny bit of grenache blanc in it, since we forgot to harvest 2 rows when we did the whites! 1956 bottles and 24 magnums." -Eric Texier