Alcohol: 14.5%
Grape(s): 100% Grenache
Location: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France
Tasting Notes: Fine, fresh and herbal with expressive black cherry, liquorice and violets. Full-bodied, gummy and ripe in fruit, but the acidity and plentiful tannin help to keep everything moving and focused. An exceptional, long expression of pure Grenache on sand, it has the fine tannins and elegant structure you'd hope for, alongside great freshness and balance. Its longevity isn't easy to predict, but it's hard to resist drinking now anyway. From a south-facing vineyard planted in 1920 in lieu-dit Pignan, fermented and then matured in stainless steel for 18 months. 6,000 bottles made.
97 points Jeb Dunnuck: The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Secrets de Pignan is all Grenache and comes from an incredible terroir just beside Rayas. Brought up entirely in stainless steel, it offers a deeper ruby/plum color as well as fabulous notes of black raspberries, Morello cherries, sandalwood, Provençal garrigue, and dried flowers. It brings beautiful depth of fruit on the palate, has full-bodied richness, sweet tannins, and a great finish. It's another brilliant vintage that readers will love to drink any time over the coming 15 years or more.
Food pairing: Terrine of pheasant in dried fruits. Saddle of lamb roasted in juniper berries. Roe deer with pears.
Winery Story: La Bastide Saint Dominique, a family estate in the Southern Rhône Valley renowned for its elegant and subtly balanced wines for over 40 years. Meticulously crafted, sustainable production of wines in Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cairanne, Rasteau, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Located in the Southern Rhône Valley, between Avignon and Orange, our estate enjoys a warm, dry Mediterranean climate. Sun and the Mistral wind impart their characteristics to the wines, combining with the terroir to give them a distinct character and a marked identity. Wines that are warm, robust, sun-kissed, yet characterized by finesse and elegance.
