Wine Advisor
Pierre Usseglio, Chateauneuf Du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Limpid ruby-red. Intensely perfumed, spice-accented aromas of ripe red and blue fruits, potpourri and incense expand steadily with air. Palate-staining raspberry and boysenberry flavors are complemented by an exotic floral pastille quality and suggestions of star anise and allspice. Rich but bright and energetic as well, showing superb finishing clarity, smooth, well-knit tannins and persistent florality. Made entirely with whole clusters and aged in a 60/40 combination of concrete vats and oak demi-muids.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep vivid red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry scents are complicated by hints of allspice, pungent flowers and smoky minerals. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering energetic red and dark berry and candied lavender flavors, along with suggestions of smoky minerals and licorice. Concentrated but vibrant and precise in style, delivering superb finishing thrust, fine-grained tannins and excellent, floral-driven persistence.
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
All Grenache, all whole cluster and from parcels in the lieux-dits of La Guigasse, Le Crau and Les Serres, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul has evolved beautifully since I tasted it last year, showing vibrant floral and tea-like notes, raspberry fruit and hints of licorice. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, with overtones of spice cake on the long, crisp finish. Tasting it, I was surprised to find out what the alcohol level was, because it showed no obvious heat—a testament to how much else is going on here.
About the Producer
Château USSEGLIO is a family business. Its creation dates back to 1948, when grandfather Francis USSEGLIO left Italy to work as a wine worker at CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE. 1949 saw his first harvest come out of the oven. Later, his son Pierre took over the estate and expanded Château Pierre Usseglio. Today it covers 39 hectares, 24 hectares of Châteauneuf-du-Pape red, 1 hectare of Châteauneuf-du-Pape white, 6 hectares of Lillac red, 6 hectares of Côtes du Rhône and 2 hectares of French wines developed by Pierre's two sons. Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio. The estate produces the traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape red wines. Half of the vines in the winery are over 65 years old and the other half are about 40 years old. The yields obtained are very low, around 20 to 25 hectolitres per hectare, depending on the vintage. Harvesting is always done by hand and sorting is selective. The grapes are destemmed and the winemaking process lasts 25 to 30 days, after which the wine is aged 50% in oak barrels for 12 days and 50% in concrete tanks. The result is a powerful, rounded wine with intense aromas of red fruit and spices. The wines of this estate are best consumed over a period of 5 to 10 years, depending on taste and vintage.
