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.

 

95-97/100 - JEB DUNNUCK

"The flagship from Xavier is the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Anonyme and in 2019 it’s 60% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, and the balance a mix of permitted varieties. Partially destemmed and brough up in a mix of demi-muids and tank, it offers a beautifully pure, vibrant bouquet of black raspberries, white and black pepper, candied orange, and violets. Complex, layered, and nuanced, this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has a seamless texture, and a great finish. It has both elegance and richness, and will keep for 15+ years."

 

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

2019 is a rich and sunny vintage, very expressive, just like the climate that year. Consequently, the vinification was done at low temperatures (22-24°) to preserve freshness.

Many precautions were taken in order to preserve the elegance and finesse of the skin tannins by limiting as much as possible the extraction of the seed tannins.

Ageing

The 18-month ageing period was carried out 1/3 in concrete vats, 1/3 in truncated cone-shaped vats and 1/3 in demi-muids. The barrels were not new in order to preserve a reducing environment.

Duck with olive sauce - Porcini ravioli with parsnip cream and crispy bacon - Roast pigeon with porcini - Quail stuffed with mushrooms