Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils - La Genèse 2020 (ex cuvée La Création)

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

A classic Châteauneuf estate, managed since 2004 by Stéphane, Raymond’s son, with vineyards scattered throughout the region, including very old Grenache vines in Pialons and Grand Pierre. The wines possess the power and structure one would expect. The prestigious “Impériale” cuvée, a small portion of which is barrel-aged, is made from these old Grenache vines.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Through a series of purchases, Raymond Usseglio expanded the Castelpapal estate—founded by his father Francis, who came from Italy in 1931 to work the land—to 33 hectares. Since 1999, the estate has been run by his only son, Stéphane. The estate has obtained organic and biodynamic certifications.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

Stephan Usseglio has propelled this certified organic and biodynamic estate, named after his father, to the ranks of the region’s finest. Furthermore, he has continued to experiment, trying out different aging and fermentation vessels, single-varietal wines, and blends outside the appellation’s boundaries to create innovative French wines that often offer exceptional value. As part of his efforts to reduce alcohol levels, he plants Clairette when he needs to replace a dead Grenache vine. “There’s one or two degrees [of potential alcohol] less at harvest,” explains Mr. Usseglio. The quality of the white wines has improved over recent vintages and has become one of the estate’s priorities, with white wines now accounting for 25% of production. There are limited-production, high-end versions of pure Clairette and Roussanne, but the blended cuvée should not be overlooked, as it is also excellent. In 2021, Mr. Usseglio stated: “We were lucky not to have frost damage—only five hectares out of 25 were affected.” Of course, he and his harvesters had to dodge the same raindrops as everyone else during the harvest, but his 2021 vintage turned out very well. In 2022, he says, “we had a good winter, then it was very dry, with small berries. With the cool nights, the vines didn’t stop growing; we already had finesse by late August. Fermentation was quick, malolactic fermentation was quick [and] the wines are drinkable early, just like in 2007." If the wines truly turn out like those of 2007, the 2022 vintage could be one of the greatest, and not just for this estate.

James Suckling

About the wine:

The aroma of this exceptional 2020 red from the southern Rhône is truly breathtaking. So many summer flowers, plus notes of pomegranate and blood orange. Generous yet precise on the palate, it has excellent concentration and is remarkably elegant, with a very long finish for this region. A pure Grenache wine. Made from grapes grown biodynamically with Demeter certification. Ready to drink now or for aging.

Jeb Dunnuck