The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Croix De Bois comes from a single vineyard near the town of Bedarrides and, as with the Barbe Rac, is 100% destemmed Grenache aged in concrete tanks. While I ordinarily prefer the Barbe Rac in...
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Croix De Bois comes from a single vineyard near the town of Bedarrides and, as with the Barbe Rac, is 100% destemmed Grenache aged in concrete tanks. While I ordinarily prefer the Barbe Rac in terms of quality, this cuvée, which comes from cooler, more clays soils, offers a touch more purity and precision in 2019. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and nicely focused on the palate, it has incredibly Provençal notes of red and black fruits, peppery garrigue, saddle leather, and chalky minerality. It’s also perfectly balanced. I’d happily drink a bottle today, but a few years in the cellar will do it well, and it will certainly evolve for two decades.