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Wine from Clos Saint Jean

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Wine from Clos Saint Jean

“This may well be one of the most exciting addresses not only in France, but in the entire wine world.... In short, these wines are not to be missed!”

– ROBERT PARKER

Once harvested, the grapes are transported to the cellar in small bins. The white varieties are pressed directly with Grenache Blanc and Clairette being fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks while the Roussanne is fermented and aged in barrel. The reds are almost entirely destemmed with about 10% whole clusters retained. Fermentation follows in concrete vats. Macerations are long, averaging 35 days on the skins. The Grenache sees a gentle maceration with delestage, while the Syrah and Mouvredre receive pigeage. All of the Grenache is aged in concrete with the exception of Sanctus Sanctorum, a single plot of old-vine Grenache, that in exceptional vintages, is aged in demi-muid and bottled only in magnum. Syrah and Mourvedre are aged in barriques and demi-muids. Aging for all the reds is about 12 months. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes in bottled especially for European Cellars and is selected by the brothers with input from Philippe Cambie and Eric Solomon. In addition to the Sanctus Sanctorum, two additional small cuvées are made: La Combe des Fous and Deus ex Machina – each sourced primarily from Le Crau, the power and finesse of which is apparent in both wines. The Deus ex Machina is deepened with the inclusion of the old vine Mourvedre that the Maurels farm on the sandy soils of Bois–Dauphin.

Clos Saint Jean is a 41 hectare estate in Châteauneuf-duPape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region having been founded in 1900 by the great-great-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910. The various vineyards of Clos Saint Jean are located primarily in the region of Le Crau. This plateau is perhaps the most iconic of the many terroirs of Châteauneuf-duPape – iron-rich red clays topped with galets. While about 60% of their vineyards are located here, specifically in the lieu-dits of Côteau de Saint Jean and Cabane de Saint-Jean, another 40% are located in alluvial clay and sandy soils adjacent to the plateau. They also own a small parcel of Mourvedre in the lieu-dit of Bois-Dauphin near Château Rayas planted on sandy, limestone-rich soils. The farming at Clos Saint Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate which obviates the need for chemical inputs. Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines are also worked manually and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.

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Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2019

Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from old vines located in and around Le Crau. The Grenache is aged in concrete for 12 months while the remainder is aged in demi-muid.


Review:

A bigger, richer wine, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes has a similar style in its peppery garrigue, lavender, scorched earth, and licorice aromatics. It’s slightly darker fruited than the base cuvée and has a rock star of a mid-palate, building, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It’s one stunning bottle of wine to drink over the coming 10-15 years.

-Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points 

 

Rich and seductive in style, featuring waves of warmed plum sauce and blackberry purée flavors laced with singed alder, licorice root and tobacco notes, with flashes of ganache and warm earth in the background. Everything stays well-defined through the finish, which offers a late echo of minerality. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin.

- Wine Spectator 95 Points

 

Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes 2021

Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from old vines located in and around Le Crau. The Grenache is aged in concrete for 12 months while the remainder is aged in demi-muid.


Review:


This has good concentration and energy to the dense core of dark fruit and bitter cherry, with great poise and elegance despite its ripeness (an impressive feat for the vintage). Guided by finely crushed mineral accents and tannins, this reveals pretty high-toned floral notes and leafy tobacco. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Vaccarese and Muscardin. Drink now through 2032. 900 cases made.

-Wine Spectator 95 Points

 Wine Spectator: 95
Clos Saint-Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous 2020

Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.

The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.

Combe des Fous literally means, the hill of the fool. The hill, in this case, is located in the far southern reach of Le Crau which was left barren for many centuries because the layer of galets was so exceedingly deep that everyone assumed vines could never survive there. The fool in this situation is Edmund Tacussel, the great-great-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal Maruel who planted a Grenache vineyard on this site in 1905. That old-vine Grenache form the heart of this cuvée with a small amount of Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse. La Combe des Fous is only made in the best vintages.


Review:

Pumps out heady raspberry, mulberry and blackberry compote notes that keep form and direction, thanks to a roasted apple wood spine and flanking ganache, garrigue and warm earth notes. Seriously grippy finish. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Vaccarèse.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points


The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous is a normal blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Vaccarèse and Cinsault. Beautiful, full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe black raspberries, violets, ground pepper, lavender, and herbes de Provence all emerge from this gorgeous barrel sample, and it shows the pure, fresh, yet still concentrated style of the vintage brilliantly.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94-97 Points

 Wine Spectator: 96 97 Points
Clos Saint-Jean Deus-Ex Machina Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2020


Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.

The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.

Deus ex Machina is a literary and dramatic term for a miraculous intervention that interrupts a logical course of events in a plot or play. A suitable name for a cuvée that had it’s start in the torrid vintage of 2003 when Philippe Cambie and Vincent Maurel made the decision to harvest at the end of September, weeks after their neighbors. Deus ex Machina is a blend of old vine Grenache from La Crau, aged in tank with equally ancient Mourvedre from the sandy soils of BoisDauphin aged in demi-muid. Deus ex Machina is only made in the best vintages.

Review:

Machina reminds me slightly of the 2011 with its spicy, perfumed, complex bouquet of red and black fruits, dried flowers, pepper, and Provençal herbs, with more gamey, meaty notes emerging with time in the glass. Full-bodied on the palate, it's balanced, has ultra-fine yet building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.

-Jeb Dunnuc 97 Points


Boasts bitter plum, raspberry and black cherry reduction notes that have a lively savory, garrigue streak, while grippy-edged tar, tobacco and ganache notes pepper the finish. Muscular and dense but the cut is there, and the fruit core takes a late encore for good measure. Grenache and Mourvèdre.

-Wine Spectator 97 Points

 Wine Spectator: 97 97 Points
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