Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils - Les Apôtres 2019

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 wine:

A label depicting the Last Supper, with Jesus symbolizing the Grenache grape, surrounded by his 12 apostles—the same number as the “secondary” grape varieties of Châteauneuf. The grapes are co-fermented and then macerated in amphorae for 4 months, followed by 18 months of aging, also in amphorae. In the glass, this wine is somewhat reserved on the nose but more expressive on the palate, with rich, ripe cherry fruit tinged with sweet spices, velvety, well-integrated tannins, and a smooth, fresh finish. A masterpiece.

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 wine:

An extremely diverse blend of grape varieties—Grenache makes up the largest portion [...] macerated on the skins for four months in amphorae and then aged in amphorae for another 18 months, the 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Apôtres offers unique aromas of asphalt, mocha, celery seeds, red raspberries, and cherries. It is medium-bodied to full-bodied, tight and structured, but not harsh or even too firm, well-defined on the palate with a long finish. Tasted blind.

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.

Wine Spectator

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

A relatively recent blend that includes all the appellation’s authorized grape varieties and is aged in amphorae, the 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Apôtres offers a beautiful, fragrant bouquet of black raspberry and blackberry intertwined with abundant aromas and flavors of spring flowers, white truffle, spices, and dried garrigue. This marvel is harmonious, medium-bodied to full-bodied, and I’d wager that this is the best vintage of this cuvée to date.