Châteauneuf du Pape, Pure, 2018
Pure silk. Lithe soft red raspberry loganberry and cherry fruit glide on the palate and echo on the finish. Weightless and gentle yet rich and persistent. Divine Grenache. Barroche's legendary 100% Grenache cuvée that comes from a plot of 100 year old vines planted on the sandy soils at the junction of the Rayas, Grand Pierre and Pointu sectors, found on the way to Courthezon from Châteauneuf. The wine is fermented gently and aged in unobtrusive large old oak foudres. Only 4,000 bottles are made.
critic reviews
Glistening violet. Vibrant, spice-tinged cherry, raspberry and candied lavender scents pick up potpourri and mineral qualities with air. Densely packed red fruit liqueur, cherry cola, star anise and floral pastille flavors stain the palate and deepen steadily through the back half. Fine-grained tannins lend shape to an impressively long, focused, floral-dominated finish that echoes the red fruit note and betrays no rough edges.
From old-vine Grenache in sand, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Pure is a full-bodied beauty. Fully ripe, boasting notes of black cherries, wild herbs and hints of dark chocolate, it nevertheless comes across as silky and almost airy on the palate, while showing real intensity and length on the licorice-tinged finish.