Red Wine Chateau de Manissy Terres Blanches Chateauneuf du Pape 2018. It is recommended to open it half an hour before service. The vineyards of Chateau de Manissy have been producing wine since the beginning of the 20th century, when the “Missionary Fathers of the Holy Family” planted the first vines after inheriting the property from the Lafarge family, stone miners from Tavel. Then times changed and the fathers aged and had to give up the management of the estate. Florian André, a young winemaker from Tavel, has been passionately dedicated to perpetuating the tradition of the Fathers since 2003, creating new cuvées. For ethical and environmental reasons, he totally switched to organic agriculture in 2009. The Terres Blanches wine comes from a beautiful plot of one of the best terroirs of Chateauneuf du Pape, on hard limestone rocks with clayey subsoil. This powerful and yet silky red, aged in concrete vats and new 225 liters barrels for 12 months, is only available in limited quantities (1800 bottles). The wine has great complexity and pleasant sweet spicy notes on the nose. On the palate, it is delicate and balanced with notes of licorice, violet, and cocoa beans. This cuvée promises beautiful cellar aging and will pair perfectly with roasted veal, lamb, guinea fowl, or even Comté aged 18 months.
2018
Red Wine Chateau de Manissy Terres Blanches Chateauneuf du Pape 2018
Red Wine Chateau de Vaudieu Chateauneuf Du Pape Amiral G 2018. Decant 1 hour before serving. Built by Admiral Gérin in 1767, Chateau de Vaudieu is one of the Southern Rhone’s oldest and most charming estates. The property is named after the nearby Val de Dieu” or Valley of God” which sits at the heart of the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. Over the past couple of centuries the chateau has earned a reputation for producing top quality Chateaneuf du Pape wines and was actually one of the first local producers to start exporting its wines abroad. For the past 50 years it has been owned by the Brechet family. Made to honour the man who built the charming manor house at the centre of the estate, Amiral G is Vaudieu’s flagship wine. Grapes are sourced from a parcel of old vine Grenache which has an estimated average age of over 60 years and is planted on red clay and stony soils. Each year the grapes are carefully harvested by hand and fermented in concrete vats before ageing in new 600 litre French oak barrels for 18 months. The result is a full-throttled red that is sure to please lovers of rich and robust Chateaneuf du Pape wines. The nose opens with classic Southern Rhone notes of luscious bramble, dried fruit and subtle hints of dried herbs while the palate offers a full body, ripe yet firm tannins and a very long finish. An ideal addition to the cellar which will continue to develop over the next 15 years or so.
2018
Red Wine Chateau Fonreaud 2018. The magnificent Chateau Fonreaud has a stunning setting at the highest point in the Medoc. The estate was originally named Font-réaux meaning Royal Fountain”. According to local legend, in the 12th century the King of England drank from a spring here on the grounds. In 1962 it was purchased by Leo Chanfreau, an Algerian winemaker, who set to work rebuilding the property and improving its vineyards. Today it is run by the second and third generations of the family who look after around 38 hectares of vines planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Their vines are planted on gravelly soils over limestone and cultivated according to sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural practices. During the harvest the family carefully selects the best plots which are used for this wine. Once in the winery the fruit is crushed and destemmed before being fermented in small temperature-controlled tanks. The young wine is then aged in oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling. Cassis, blackberry, and herbal notes dominate on the nose, while the first sip reveals an opulent, full-bodied wine with firm tannins and a long, lingering finish.
2018