2014 Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois

Proprietary Blend - 750ML
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REVIEWS

WA 94 WS 92
WA 94

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, October 2016

Another smoking good 2014 is the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois, which like always, is 100% Grenache that comes from a site on the eastern side of the appellation, near the village of Bédarrides. Completely...
WS 92

Wine Spectator, March 2017

The core of mulled currant, raspberry and blackberry fruit is still reserved for now, while anise, tobacco and warm stone notes play out. Best from 2019 through 2028. — J.M.

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Proprietary Blend
Country France
Region Rhone
Sub-region Southern Rhone
Appellation Chateauneuf du Pape
Vintage 2014
Size 750ML
Percent alcohol 14%
Closure Cork

Chapoutier is one of the oldest wine producers in the Rhone Valley with a history dating back to 1808. A distant ancestor, Polydor Chapoutier, was the first to buy vines here, shifting from being a simple grape grower to making and trading his own wine. For the last two hundred years, the estate has been producing some of the greatest wines in the Rhone Valley. Today, the range also includes wines from some Roussillon appellations as well as projects in Portugal and Australia.

Under Michel Chapoutier’s leadership, quality improved and Chapoutier gained international recognition. The massive negociant and winery produces single-vineyard expressions and classic wines from a range of appellations in the north and south of the valley.

They have adopted biodynamic farming techniques and have included Braille markings on their labels since 1996. This was done from a desire to reach out to and include lovers of good wines with sight-impairments, and as a tribute to Maurice Monier of La Sizeranne, a member of the family that previously owned the vines of the same name and who invented the first abbreviated version of Braille.

Chateauneuf's history is extremely dense. One of the most important periods was during the 15th Century when the popes resided in Avignon. The village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape became the papal summer residence (Jean XXII, Urbin V and Innocent VI) and they succeeded in promoting its wines.

In the early 20th Century, winegrowers were regularly acknowledged for their wines by a special board of judges which was set up under the instigation of Baron "le Roy de Boiseaumarie."

Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape Croix des Bois is made from Grenache planted on soils composed of big quartzite shingles and sandy red clay. The color is intense red with aromas of black fruits and blackberry jam. It is unctuous and ample with warm tannins. Depending on the vintage, the wine can be kept from 30 to 60 years or from 50 to 75 years.

When it comes to the Rhone (North and South) Michel Chapoutier is as much of a master as you can find, with dozens of top scores from the Wine Advocate and a diehard following to match. His top cuvees are “consistently among the world's greatest wines” according to Robert Parker and his single-vineyard Châteauneuf du Pape are no exception. The ‘Croix de Bois’ Châteauneuf is “another smoking good 2014” according to the Wine Advocate, and a gorgeous expression of Grenache. From 80-100-year-old vines on the eastern side of the appellation, the 2014 'Croix de Bois' is a sensuous rendition of Châteauneuf done in a “full-bodied, voluptuous and hedonistic style” (Wine Advocate). Exhibiting “highly expressive red fruit liqueur, lavender, Asian spice and mineral aroma” (Vinous), this has the classic Chapoutier level of refinement coupled with superb intensity thanks to the famous smooth pebble soil (galets roules) of Châteauneuf.