Domaine De La Janasse Chateauneuf Du Pape 2016

SKU
DJCN201610 UCAU
  • A blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault.
  • Over 33% of the estates vines are over 100 years old
  • A beautifully traditional expression of Chateauneuf du Pape
  • 1 or more bottles
    $125.00
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  • The Wine Advoca
    93 points
  • Vinous
    93 points
  • Wine Spectator
    93 points
  • Gary Walsh
    94 points

Editors notes

This wonderful estate is run by brother-sister team of Christophe and Isabelle Sabon, though their father (who celebrates his 50th vintage with this 2016 harvest) lends his ample experience.

"As autumn is drawing to a close and the wine presses have been washed and put away, the first wines tasted before being blended confirm what had been sensed: 2016 is going to be a fabulous vintage! And if some compare it to the magnificent 2010, some others do not hesitate to go as far as the famous star-vintage 1990… Either way, the evidence that we are witnessing the making of a great vintage is clear." Domaine de la Janasse

A blend of 65% old Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault.

This cuvée comes from several different terroirs (sand, rolled pebbles, red clay) located on the northern part of the appellation and on the plateau of La Crau. The vines are grown without pesticides or insecticides and the manure is natural. The land is worked without weedkiller to maintain ventilation and flexibility of the soil.

With an ample and structured substance, this cuvée is well-balanced, whose notes of black fruits (blackberry, blackcurrant), combined with aromas of violets, cover a long and silky mouth, all in nerve.

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Red Fruits
    • Redcurrant
    • Smoky
  • Palate
    • Earthy
    • Jammy
    • Red Fruits

Food Pairings

  • Game
  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • The Wine Advocate

    93
    "The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape exhibits more dark fruit than I would've expected, with black cherries, black olives and tar all mingling on the nose. In the mouth, the blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault is full-bodied, rich and velvety, with a lush, lingering finish. Easy to drink now, it should age for at least a decade just on its sheer concentration and ripeness."
  • Vinous

    93
    "Deep glistening ruby. Aromas of ripe red berries, cherry preserves, lavender and smoky minerals; a sexy Moroccan spice nuance builds in the glass. Juicy and seamless on the palate, where the lush raspberry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors show superb depth and energy. Clings impressively on the long, spice-tinged finish, which features velvety tannins and an echo of raspberry liqueur. This is one of the standout entry-level Châteauneufs of this top-notch vintage."
  • Wine Spectator

    93
    "A lovely beam of cassis and dark plum fruit streams through, laced with anise and graphite notes and driving into a sage brush–accented finish. Shows the ripe, focused, racy feel of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2030. 1,500 cases imported. — JM"
  • Gary Walsh

    94
    "Pan juices, liquorice, lavender and white flowers, ripe blackberry and blueberry, a smattering of spice and scrub herbs. It has a berry pie sweetness, but also a meat and herb perfume, fine but firm graphite tannin, beef dripping and a long finish offering grip and a chamois-like texture, some bitter dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Excellent. Will age very well, I’d say."

Other vintages

Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.

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Locations

France

Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.

Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.

Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)

The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.

Rhone Valley

The Rhône Valley is in the South of France and is situated in the Rhône river valley. The region has been growing wines for centuries and is generally split into two sub-regions. In the Northern Rhône, Syrah is the predominant grape variety, though it is often blended with other white varieties like Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier, or the red grape Mourvedre. In the Southern Rhône, a wide range of white, red and rosés are produced alongside the undisputed king of the Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The Northern Rhône is cooler than the Southern Rhône and has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winter. The appellations from North to South are Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Péray.

In Southern Rhône, the climate is more Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot summers. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the most famous appellation but others include Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas and Lirac. Large pebbles are used in the region, placed at the base of the vines to absorb the suns heat during the day, to keep the vines warm at night.

Châteauneuf-du-Papes are blended from the 13 permitted grape varieties, though Grenache usually dominates, supported by Syrah and Mourvèdre. These wines can be supremely rich and complex and typically warrant 5-10 years in the cellar for best results.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the largest AOC in the Southern Rhone and the oldest AOC in France is an historic village between Orange and Avignon in the southern Rhone Valley. It is renowned for producing gloriously rich red wines, reminiscent of the heat and herbs of the south.

Vineyards are typified by the large round 'galet' stones which assist in reflecting sun onto the untrained bush vines. The climate in CNDP is the driest of all Rhone appellations, a Mediterranean climate in which the dryness is accentuated by the wineries not being permitted (in all but extreme conditions) to irrigate their vines.

The wines have a depth of complexity which comes from blending several of the 14 permitted grape varieties. The varieties are: Grenache, Mouvedre, Syrah, Cinsault, Vaccarese, Counoise, Teret Noir, Muscadin, Picpoul Noir, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, Picpoul Gris and Picardin. With red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Grenache is generally the dominant varietal with Syrah and Mourvèdre in support. The white wines in the region are made from Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc and Picardin and represent barely a tenth of total production.

About the brand Domaine de la Janasse

In 1967, Aimé Sabon came back from his military service. He took over his father’s vines, who used to take his grapes to the wine cooperative. In 1973, Aimé built his own cellar. Domaine de la Janasse was born and named after the family farm that was in Courthézon, in the locality of “La Janasse”. Aimé was ambitious. He knew he had fabulous soil and he wanted to expand the estate by acquiring new plots. From 15 hectares at the very beginning, La Janasse has now reached more than 90 hectares.

In 1991, after a technical diploma in viticulture and oenology in Beaune, and another one in marketing in Mâcon, Christophe Sabon –Aimé’s eldest son– came back to La Janasse where he was given the keys to the cellar. From then different cuvees were developed, new markets conquered. In 2001, Isabelle –Aimé’s daughter– graduated as an oenologist from the University of Toulouse, and joined the team. With Hélène, Aimé’s wife, the family was reunited again in La Janasse.

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