| Single Bottles (75cl) @ £30.00 |
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Tasting Notes: This is one of the most refined Chateauneufs I have ever tasted. The definition of the wine is superb: the fruit character is exactly Chateauneuf (red and black fruits, spices, garrigue); the elegant tannins give the wine backbone and the ability to age effortlessly and the acidity also provides perfect support. No obvious kick of alcohol either. This fabulous vintage is one to enjoy now or age a few years, depending on your preference.
| Drinking Dates: 2012 to 2025+ | Cépagement: 60% very old Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 5% other varieties including Counoise and Vaccarèse (25 hl/ha). | Upbringing: As a blender/oenologist, Xavier likes to put together some really exciting wines - his "Debut" Rouge is one of the best value wines on the market, for example. In Chateauneuf, he works with several of the leading estates (including Vieille Julienne, Marcoux, Grand Veneur, Raymond Usseglio, la Nerthe and Mordorée) and this wine is blended from parcels he has collected from some of them but neither he nor they are letting on what is in the bottle. All we know is this is a fabulous wine with great potential.
Varietiers are vinified separately or by complementary couple, then aged in French barrels (maximum 1/3 new) for Syrah and Mourvèdre. Very low S02 doses and very light filtering during the bottling. | ABV: 14.6% | Critic Reviews: "Except for Henri Bonneau's 2007 Reserve des Celestins (which is still in barrel), the last 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape to be released will be Xavier Vignon's Anonyme. This sensational wine spent three years in a combination of demi-muids and small oak. It boasts an inky/purple color along with a sweet nose of underbrush, garrigue, licorice, blackberries and black currants. Full, thick, unctuously textured and even flamboyant, this stunning 2007 should drink well for another 15-20 years." 96/100 ( Wine Advocate) | Food: Grilled beef , Marengo calf, duck in olives or roasted in figs, boar stew etc |
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