Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2019
Domaine de la Janasse
The Vieilles Vignes cuvée from Janasse is the estate's crown jewel — sourced from Grenache vines averaging 80+ years old. The 2019 vintage gave Southern Rhône producers a near-perfect growing season, and Janasse capitalized fully. This is a wine that will evolve for two decades, but it's already showing extraordinary poise. A benchmark Châteauneuf.
Nose
Explosive dark fruit — blackcurrant, crushed blackberry — layered with violets, dried lavender, and a savory garrigue note. Beneath the fruit, hints of cedar, toasted spice, and a faint meatiness emerge with air.
Palate
Massive yet refined. The palate delivers concentrated berry fruit, framed by fine-grained tannins and a mineral freshness that lifts everything. Mid-palate brings cedar, mint, and a subtle rosemary-like herbal quality. The old vines contribute a density that younger plantings simply cannot match.
Finish
Very long and layered, with blackcurrant, toasted oak, and a lingering floral violet note.
- Varietal
- Grenache
- Blend
- Grenache (dominant), Mourvèdre, Syrah
- Vineyards
- Old vine parcels across multiple Châteauneuf-du-Pape lieux-dits, galets roulés soils
- Alcohol
- 15.5%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Herb-crusted rack of lamb with ratatouille
Run by Christophe Sabon from vines his father Aimé planted decades ago across the garrigue-covered plateaus of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Janasse crafts this Vieilles Vignes cuvée from Grenache parcels averaging over eighty years of age.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2020
Domaine de Marcoux
Domaine de Marcoux has practiced biodynamic farming since 1990, and the purity of fruit in this 2020 reflects that commitment. The sun-baked galets roulés stones — heat stored by day, released by night — are the invisible hand in every Châteauneuf, and this bottling captures that thermal exchange beautifully. A wine shaped by the memory of stone and sun.
Domaine de la Tournelle Arbois Poulsard de l'Uva Arbosiana 2021
Domaine de la Tournelle
A masterclass in restraint. Poulsard at its most transparent — a red wine that whispers rather than declares, defined as much by what's absent as by what remains.
Domaine Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage Les Guiraudes 2020
Domaine Alain Graillot
Les Guiraudes is Graillot's parcel selection — a step up from the standard Crozes that shows what this appellation can achieve when the vines are old and the hand is confident. The 2020 vintage's warmth gives extra generosity, but the wine never loses its Syrah identity: earthy, peppery, and built on structure rather than sweetness. Outstanding value for Northern Rhône Syrah of this caliber.
Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires Côtes Catalanes Rouge 2022
Domaine Gauby
Gérard and Lionel Gauby farm biodynamically in the arid foothills of the Pyrenees, and their entry-level red captures the wildness of the Roussillon landscape. This is a wine with more tension and complexity than its price suggests. Drink it slightly cool and let it open over an hour.