Château de Vaudieu - Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe l'Avenue 2019

Druvor

Grenache

Tasting note

Showing beautifully, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape L’Avenue boasts a deeper ruby/purple-tinged hue as well as a rocking bouquet of kirsch, blackberries, spring flowers, candied violets, and Asian spices. This beauty is full-bodied, has a rounded, mouthfilling texture, ripe tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Based on 100% Grenache from a single parcel around the estate, brought up in demi-muids, this ripe yet also balanced and elegant 2019 is going to drink nicely with just a year or two of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years. It’s stunning stuff.

Château de Vaudieu is located in the center of the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, just south of Rayas. The estate is impeccably run by Laurent Bréchet with the winemaking falling to consultant Philippe Cambie. Today they release a number of special cuvees based largely on individual parcels around the domaine. The winemaking can be thought of as quasi-modern, with most of the wines destemmed and brought up in older barrels and demi-muids. New oak is kept to a minimum and the wines always show Provençal, elegant characters. In addition to the brilliant reds, this estate fashions some of the greatest whites in the appellation!

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Jeb Dunnuck

The team at Château du Vaudieu, led by Laurent Bréchet as well as consultant Philippe Cambie, is firing on all cylinders and continues to produce a bevy of truly world class wines in every vintage. The estate is located not far from Rayas and the wines are rich and powerful, yet never show any signs of rusticity or coarseness. These are elegant, seamless, singular wines. Looking at the two vintages reviewed here, the 2017s showed brilliant with most rating at the upper end of their barrel reviews, which is always a good sign. These are incredibly Provençal, sexy, balanced wines that make the most of the vintage. All the 2018 reds were tasted out of barrel and shows beautifully, with the ripe yet pure style of the vintage. These will certainly be approachable in their youth, yet I suspect also age gracefully given their inherent balance. While 2018 was a difficult year for the whites, you wouldn’t know it by tasting at this estate and along with Saint Prefert and Beaucastel, I think Château De Vaudieu are fashioning some of the greatest whites of the region.

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Jeb Dunnuck