Domaine de Saje Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020

Alcohol: 15%

Grape(s): 80-85% Grenache, followed by a field blend of the other 12 permitted varietals

Localization: Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône Valley, France

Tasting Notes: Good intensity and depth in its ripe raspberry and framboise-like fruit as well as a floral character. Medium-bodied, nicely balanced, and elegant.

Notes: Raised in foudre for 14 to 16 months, bottled without fining and with only a very light filtration. Production averages 1,300 cases.

The Domain: The Mathieu family is the oldest wine producing family in Châteauneuf. The wisdom of the ages is something keenly felt, and goes a long way toward explaining Jérôme’s staunch traditionalism. Saje is an abbreviation of the names of his wife and son as well as his own; it’s also a play on the French word sage, which means the same in French as it does in English: to be wise. Jérôme’s inheritance amounted to just over 23 acres across 26 parcels in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with 2 hectares (five acres divided into two parcels) in appellation Côtes du Rhône.

The Châteauneuf holdings are spread all over the appellation in various exposures, elevations, and soils. In the traditional manner, most are based on Grenache but are co-planted with many other varieties, adding up to all 13 permitted varietals. Each parcel is harvested en masse and fermented. As a result, Jérôme enjoys a great deal of diversity with terroir and grape variety, which gives his wines an additional measure of complexity while also mitigating against high levels of alcohol in the wine (field blends need to be harvested at an average level of ripeness, whereas single-varietal parcels can easily be picked at an advanced level of ripeness tailored to a given varietal if so chosen). As noted, the style here is traditional. The reds ferment spontaneously, age in large concrete vats over the winter, and then are racked into old foudres.