1996 Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Clos du Mont Olivet is a 60-acre estate in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in France’s Rhone Valley. Though wine has been made on the estate for centuries, the estate’s modern history started in 1932 when Seraphin Sabon married the daughter of a local landowner and the couple started Clos Mont Olivet. Today the estate is run by the third and fourth generations of the Sabon family. The estate’s vineyards include parcels in Cotes-du-Rhone as well as Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and it makes red and white wines. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Clos du Mont Olivet “one of the very best Chateauneuf-du-Papes….a splendidly rich, old-style Chateauneu-du-Pape from ancient vines…”

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.