Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils - Les Apôtres 2019

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 on the palate that one expects from them. The prestigious “Impériale” cuvée, a small portion of which is barrel-aged, is produced from the old Grenache vines.

A label depicting the Last Supper, with Jesus symbolizing Grenache, 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, full-bodied fruitiness of ripe cherry tinged with sweet spices, velvety, well-integrated tannins, and a smooth, fresh finish. A masterpiece.

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

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 and long on the finish. Tasted blind.

Stephan Usseglio has propelled this certified organic and biodynamic estate—which bears his father’s name—among the region’s finest. In addition, he has continued to experiment, trying 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 the last few vintages and has become one of the estate’s priorities; it now produces 25% white wine. There are limited-production, high-end versions of pure Clairette and Roussanne, but the blended cuvée—which is also excellent—should not be overlooked. In 2021, Mr. Usseglio said, “We were lucky not to have suffered 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 to be very good. In 2022, he says, “we had a good winter, then it was very dry, with small berries. Thanks to the cool nights, the vines didn’t stop growing; we already had finesse by late August. Fermentation was rapid, malolactic fermentation was rapid [and] the wines are drinkable early, just like in 2007.” If the wines truly turn out to be like those of 2007, the 2022 vintage could be one of the greatest—and not just for this estate.

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 it’s the best vintage of this cuvée to date.