One of Xavier Vignon's first almost anonymous blends!
The grapes come from "collection vines", where many grape varieties are planted together, making it difficult to identify the exact share of each variety: grenache, vaccarese, counoise, mourvèdre, terret noir and muscardin.
95/100 - PARKER
"The striking 2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme is 60% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre and the rest minor varieties (there's no Syrah). Aged in a mix of foudres, demi-muids, barriques and concrete tanks, it shows hints of mocha and toast on the nose, but the blackberry and red plum fruit is mouthwatering and fresh, richly concentrated and spicy. Full-bodied, it manages to be ripe, silky and concentrated, while remaining crisp on the lengthy finish. Tasted twice, with consistent notes"
95+/100 - JEB DUNNUCK
"The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme is the flagship and is mostly Grenache that was sourced from numerous terroirs throughout Châteauneuf-du-Pape and brought up in a mix of tank and barrels (some new). It offers a rocking bouquet of black raspberries, blueberries, lavender, Asian spices, and graphite. Like all of Xavier's 2016s, it has purity, freshness, and richness, yet still packs ample richness and depth. Give this full-bodied, elegant red another few years, and it will keep for a decade."
All the terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are represented in this cuvée for a great complexity and a beautiful minerality: rolled pebbles, calvary, marl, red clay...
Vinification
The exceptional quality of the 2016 harvest made sorting unnecessary in many parcels. The yield was more than limited as three vines were used for each bottle produced.
Traditional vinification with a long maceration of nearly a month
Ageing
Aging for more than 15 months :
25% in French oak barrels (Allier - Tronçais)
25% in wooden tun
25% in half-casks
25% in concrete tanks.
Very low dose of SO2 and light filtration.
Duck with olive sauce - Porcini ravioli with parsnip cream and crispy bacon - Roast pigeon with porcini - Quail stuffed with mushrooms