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2016 Bosquet des Papes Chateauneuf Du Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes

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Latest Sale Price

December 8, 2024 - $61

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RATINGS

97The Wine Advocate

Glorious raspberry and cherry fruit picks up hints of mint and some stemmy notes... Full-bodied, rich and creamy in texture, this tour de force remains lively, silky and long on the finish.

96+ Jeb Dunnuck

...notes of black fruits, smoked herbs, seaweed, licorice, and pepper as well tons of minerality all emerge from this powerful, full-bodied, structured 2016 that has the purity of fruit and balance that’s the hallmark of this great, great vintage.

95Wine Spectator

This has a lovely feel, with a silky but persistent structure allowing a range of creamed raspberry, damson plum and boysenberry fruit flavors to glide through, while light rooibos tea, sandalwood and anise accents chime throughout...pretty floral lift at the end.

95Vinous / IWC

...highly complex, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red and dark berries, potpourri, exotic spices and garrigue and a vibrant mineral nuance...superb depth and focus on the palate, offering deeply pitched raspberry, cherry pie, Asian spice and floral pastille flavors that deftly marry power to delicacy. Finishes sappy, gently tannic and extremely long, leaving behind vibrant mineral, spice and lavender notes.

95Wine Enthusiast

Ripe but zingy blackberry and cassis flavors are marked by bramble and peppery spices...it's a finessed, stately wine with a zesty mineral backbone and fine, upright tannins.

17Jancis Robinson

Fragrant green herb scent on the nose... Chalky tannin, lovely red fruit on the palate, and finishing with attractive black pepper character.

PRODUCER

Bosquet des Papes

Le Bosquet des Papes is a 58-acre estate in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation of the Rhone Valley, France. It is owned and operated by the Boiron family, which has been making wine on the property since 1860. Today the estate is run by Nicolas Boiron and his wife Jeanne-Claire. The estate’s signature Chateauneuf-du-Pape is 70% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 5% Cinsault and 5% Vaccarese. The wine is made in the classic manner and Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that it possesses “a breadth of flavor and depth that is quite profound.” In 1990 the Boirons also started producing a luxury cuvee called Chantemerle, made from parcels of 90-year-old Grenache.

REGION

France, Rhône Valley, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the appellation, is a large area of nearly 8,000 vineyard acres centered around the picturesque town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Located in southeastern France just north of the Avignon hills, the name of the appellation means “new castle of the pope” and it is a reference to the 14th century, when the Popes of Avignon built summer homes in the Southern Rhone Valley. Today the appellation is one of the most renowned in France and its terroir is known for layers of small pebbles, called “galets.” The stones in the soil are thought to help store heat and keep the soil warm, which helps ripen the grapes. The stones also help keep the soil from drying out in hot summer months. In 1923 Châteauneuf-du-Pape was a leader in establishing the idea that AOC wines in France should be made only with specified grapes, and the appellation allowed 13 grape varieties to be used. Since then the rules have been slightly modified to include several more allowable grapes. Red and white wines are produced, though in practice about 97% of all Châteauneuf –du-Papes are reds made with a blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Muscardine, Syrah and Vaccarese. The red wines of this appellation are prized for being big, rich, spicy and full-bodied. White wines of the appellation are made with Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Picpoul and Picardin. Whites are floral, fruity and relatively full-bodied.