Domaine de la Janasse Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2022
“Domaine de la Janasse is one of the great winemaking estates of not only France, but of the world." - Robert Parker, Jr.
Welp, when the Grand Poobah of American wine writing, and arguably the most important wine critic in history, makes a statement like that…who am I to argue?!
94 POINT CdP…wooohoooo!!! I’m a shameless, monstrous fanboy of this great Rhone house – basically, I’m that guy who wears the Pearl Jam t-shirt, at the Pearl Jam concert, and then buys another for like $70 just to try and get Eddie Vedder to sign it. That’s me, but for Janasse. Some of my all-time favorite CdPs have been crafted here at this estate – and not just the big scoring 100-pointers either. (Though, those are EPIC, no question.) This “Tradition” is a personal benchmark for simply classic CdP – in monumental vintages and challenging ones, from warm years like 2009, and cool ones like 2022 – I don’t really know what to think about the possibilities of a full CdP vintage until I taste the Sabon family’s work from this workhorse cuvée. As ever…IT RULES!
The freshness and high-toned intensity of the 2022 vintage stands out for this release – and is likely why every critic seems to talk about the incredible ageability for a cuvée that typically stands as the “DRINK NOW” bottling of their three different CdPs. But with a seductive nose of black fruits, lavender, violets, and plenty of roasted herbs – this elegant seductress is pretty darn enticing right NOW! Mostly Grenache – the Sabons are Grenache MASTERS – and all from plots on the northern plateau of La Crau. These sacred soils imbibe this silky and impressive wine with a finish that borders on sheer bottled JOY! It’s simply impossible to pop less than two bottles at a time…greedy sip after greedy sip makes this disappear lightning quick, and you can just never have enough! 94 POINTS! Fierce, elegant, ripe, precise, focused, and voluminous. A BEAST of the Southern Rhone you’ll LOVE trying to tame!
One last time, Vive la France!
Description
“Domaine de la Janasse is one of the great winemaking estates of not only France, but of the world." - Robert Parker, Jr.
Welp, when the Grand Poobah of American wine writing, and arguably the most important wine critic in history, makes a statement like that…who am I to argue?!
94 POINT CdP…wooohoooo!!! I’m a shameless, monstrous fanboy of this great Rhone house – basically, I’m that guy who wears the Pearl Jam t-shirt, at the Pearl Jam concert, and then buys another for like $70 just to try and get Eddie Vedder to sign it. That’s me, but for Janasse. Some of my all-time favorite CdPs have been crafted here at this estate – and not just the big scoring 100-pointers either. (Though, those are EPIC, no question.) This “Tradition” is a personal benchmark for simply classic CdP – in monumental vintages and challenging ones, from warm years like 2009, and cool ones like 2022 – I don’t really know what to think about the possibilities of a full CdP vintage until I taste the Sabon family’s work from this workhorse cuvée. As ever…IT RULES!
The freshness and high-toned intensity of the 2022 vintage stands out for this release – and is likely why every critic seems to talk about the incredible ageability for a cuvée that typically stands as the “DRINK NOW” bottling of their three different CdPs. But with a seductive nose of black fruits, lavender, violets, and plenty of roasted herbs – this elegant seductress is pretty darn enticing right NOW! Mostly Grenache – the Sabons are Grenache MASTERS – and all from plots on the northern plateau of La Crau. These sacred soils imbibe this silky and impressive wine with a finish that borders on sheer bottled JOY! It’s simply impossible to pop less than two bottles at a time…greedy sip after greedy sip makes this disappear lightning quick, and you can just never have enough! 94 POINTS! Fierce, elegant, ripe, precise, focused, and voluminous. A BEAST of the Southern Rhone you’ll LOVE trying to tame!
One last time, Vive la France!
