2016 Grand Veneur Côtes-du-Rhône Réserve - $26.00 plus tax ($29.90)
“The 2016 Cotes du Rhone Reserve Grand Veneur looks to be very good. Tasted as a tank sample, it seems tight and constrained, corseted by acidity into tight-fitting bright cherry flavors. It should relax somewhat over the next few months, allowing the fruit and garrigue notes to properly blossom on the palate."
- The Wine Advocate #233 87-89 points
2015 Domaine Clos de Sixte Lirac Rouge - $37.30 plus tax ($42.90)
“The 2015 Lirac Clos de Sixte comes from an appellation that shares a similar terroir with Chateauneuf du Pape, yet is located just across the river, on the western side of the Rhone. It’s a serious, large scaled, voluptuous effort that that has lots of ripe tannin, a big mid-palate and copious amounts of blackberries, black cherries, scorched earth, licorice and roasted herbs. One of the bigger boned and concentrated reds in the lineup, it will have a decade of longevity.”
- The Wine Advocate #227 91-93 points
2015 Vacqueyras "Grande Garrigue” - $39.04 plus tax ($44.90)
“The plump, sexy and fruit-loaded 2015 Vacqueyras Grande Garrigue offers a smorgasbord of Provencal aromas and flavors, with notes of blackberry jam, peppered meats, toasted bread and Asian spice all jumping from the glass. Similar in style to the Cairanne, yet with additional tannic grip, this full-bodied, supple and polished beauty is another no-brainer value from this estate to snatch up.”
- The Wine Advocate #227 90-92 points
2015 Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Les Origines" Rouge - $82.52 plus tax ($94.90)
“Half of the fabulous 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee les Origines was aged in new barriques, the rest in concrete vats, so there is some oak in play here, but the blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah has absorbed much of it. This full-bodied wine is tannic and rich, with fruit shading from cherries and red plums all the way through to plum and cola. Mocha and baking spices appear on the long, velvety finish.”
- The Wine Advocate #233 95 points
About
While the Jaume family has been making wine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1826, it was not until 1979 that Domaine Grand Veneur was started by Alain and Odile Jaume. Starting with 22 acres in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the domaine is now composed of nearly 170 acres spread across most of the Southern Rhône appellations. Over the past several years, Alain has gradually been ceding control of the estate to his sons, Sébastien and Christophe, but the beliefs that have led to the domaine's success have not changed. The vineyards continue to be maintained with light plowing and the use of vegetal composts to keep the soil healthy. To keep yields low, a green harvest is carried out at least once a year to permit the healthiest bunches of grapes maximum exposure to the sun and to allow proper air circulation around the grapes. After being hand-harvested and sorted before fermentation, each wine is vinified and matured in a manner developed for each specific cuvée, which results in classically styled wines of great complexity that are great to enjoy young but that will equally reward patient cellaring. The style here, if looked at as a whole, is more traditional than not, with plenty of tank and stainless steel, yet their Châteauneuf du Papes are distinctly modern and spend plenty of time in small barrels. However, they never lose their Southern Rhone typicity, have gorgeous purity and also possess balanced, age-worthy profiles. These are some of the most exciting wines coming out of the region and they should not be missed!
