Wine Advisor
Domaine de la Janasse, Chateauneuf Du Pape Chaupin 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
As usual, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin displays more red fruit than the main bottling, being 100% Grenache from sandier soils. Raspberries and cherries appear on the nose alongside subtle hints of garrigue. The full-bodied palate is almost airy in feel, supported by a latticework of silky tannins and bright acids, while simultaneously adding bass notes of dark chocolate and licorice that linger on the finish. It's an impressive effort.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Brilliant ruby. A highly expressive bouquet evokes Chambord, cherry cola, smoky minerals and licorice, and a floral note builds as the wine opens up. Sappy, penetrating and energetic in style, offering palate-staining raspberry, cherry pie and lavender pastille flavors that put on weight and become spicier with air. Delivers a suave blend of richness and finesse and finishes spicy, focused and very long, leaving repeating floral and red fruit notes behind.
About the Producer
Founded in 1973 by Aime Sabon, Domaine de la Janasse is particularly young in comparison to the older French wineries. The vineyards were originally owned by Aime Sabon's father, who did not make wine, and the grapes were sold in bulk to wine merchants; in 1967, Aime Sabon retired from the Navy and returned home to take over the vineyards, and in 1973, he built his own cellar, thus creating Domaine de la Janasse. Domaine de la Janasse covers 137.5 acres and has vineyards in several different appellations, including: Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhone and Cotes du Rhone Village. The vines of Domaine de la Janasse are planted on different soils and some are very old, up to 90 years old. The fruit from these old vines is used to produce Janasse Cuvee Vieilles Vinges, the estate's speciality. Domaine de la Janasse produces wines in the new style of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. Since 1993, the winery has been destemming the grapes from the harvest. This practice has continued and to date at least 80% of the berries are destemmed before fermentation. The Grenache is fermented in stainless steel tanks; the Mourvedre and Syrah are fermented in short conical oak barrels. Grenache is matured in large oak barrels; Mourvedre and Syrah are matured in a mixture of new French oak barrels and large oak barrels, which can add a new and trendy style to their wines.
