Château de Nalys - Châteauneuf du Pape rouge 2019

A powerful palate with excellent fresh fruit. The tannins are well-integrated, the texture is velvety, and the finish is both taut and smooth; in this sun-drenched vintage, the wine avoids the pitfall of excessive power.

Things are moving forward at the powerful Ampuis estate. In the north, Philippe Guigal no longer hides his desire to eventually transition to organic farming, and the recent plantings at the Le Plomb site were carried out to allow for winch-assisted work. But it is in the south that the most significant projects are underway, with a new winery set to be operational at Château de Nalys as early as the 2025 harvest and new buildings expected in 2026. Meanwhile, the first tastings—still unofficial—of La Reynarde, the future new gem of Côte Rôtie, are continuing, proving to those who had their doubts the beauty of the Fongeant terroir.

A fresh and composed Châteauneuf style—mineral and elegant, without excess. Well-balanced, with oak only faintly detectable in the background. It does, however, lend the wine length, adding a layer of complexity. It is a restrained and precise wine. Grown largely on soils of rounded pebbles, with some sand and hard sandstone, in the Bois Sénéchaux, La Crau, and Grand Pierre vineyard sites. Fermentation and aging take place in various containers, primarily in truncated-cone tanks and concrete tanks, with 15% of the aging done in new barrels.

A long maceration lasting 5 weeks and a luxurious 24-month aging in barrels—20% of which were new—have shaped the character of this highly expressive wine. The nose offers aromas of wild berries and fresh walnuts, blended with a hint of leather and star anise. This complexity is fully revealed on the palate, which is full-bodied and rich, featuring powerful tannins with a fresh, licorice-like texture. We applaud the flawless harmony of this promising Châteauneuf, which has perfectly tamed the heat of the 2019 vintage.

One of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, first recorded in the 17th century, when it was owned by the Nalys family. Its venerable vineyard (52 ha) experienced a renaissance beginning in the 1950s. A staple of the appellation, it was acquired in 2017 by Maison Guigal. The transition to organic farming is underway.

Notes of vanilla, menthol, and cedar delicately characterize the nose of the 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grand Vin, which was aged in approximately 20% new oak. Raspberries and black cherries provide ample balance in this well-rounded wine that is worthy of aging. It is full-bodied and has an alcohol content 1% higher than that of its Saintes Pierres counterpart, with a rich, ripe palate, great concentration, and a long, velvety finish that adds notes of salty licorice. A delicious wine.

Juicy fruit and the sweet, spicy notes of figs. A refined tannic structure and a light hint of caramel on the mid-palate—toasted oak. Sweet fruit and an explosion of blue fruit candies on the finish. A round and elegant palate, yet with textured tannins.

The 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Grand Vin offers greater depth, with a darker core of fruit as well as complex notes of peppery garrigue, clay soil, and incense. The balance is perfect; the wine is medium-bodied to full-bodied with excellent tannins, making it a brilliant Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a lot to offer. It showcases the sunny style of the vintage without losing any of its elegance and finesse. Give it 3 to 4 years in the bottle, and it should have an overall aging potential of two decades.