Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers

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It seems like over 90s/early 2000s wines of CdP has become highly Parkerized.

It would be great to get recommendations on a few Châteauneuf-du-Pape red producers that are doing more balanced wines. Wines that show terroir, have good acidity and minerality to them, airy on the palette and yet even substance.

I wanted to try a few but didn’t know where to start from.

First, global warming has changed the wines regardless of the producer. A CdP t 13.5% abv, common in the 90s is a thing of the past. If, however, one is looking for a producer who follows traditional practices and does not seek overripe wines, here is a personal list: Charvin, Ferrand, Pegau, Feraud et fils (until recently, this was Eddie Feraud), Vieux Telegraphe and Bois de Boursan. If money is no object, Rayas also belongs on that list. And there are surely others.

The list above is a good one. But I would not look for acidity or minerality in CdP. Charvin, Vieux Telegraphe, and Pegau being my regular priced go to ones. Rayas is the most distinctive and pricey. Oh, Henri Bonneau is great but quite different and pricey.

I would add Raymond Usseglio’s regular bottling to that list.

With Chateauneuf du Pape I try to stick to two producers: Vieux Telegraphe & Beaucastel.

Bois de Boursan, also sold as Jean-Paul Versino …
don’t expect a fully accessable wine in the youth, but it will pay cellaring. 1985, 1989, 1990, 1994 (!) … all enjoyed over the past year, all very fine … 20 € off domaine …

Cuvee Felix from old vines is more expensive …

Mas Saint-Louis, Clos des Papes …

I find Clos des Papes, since its handover from father to son, to have gone from the iron hand in the velvet glove to rocket fuel in a velvet glove. But I stopped buying after 04 sp tje style may have changed again. Unless it has changed back, it really is not what the OP was asking for.

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My last visit to the domaine was probant, with, for exampkle, a lovely Clos des Papes red 2013 (btw, the white is excellent too).

John and Jonathan have more expertise here but the only Châteauneuf-du-Pape I buy are the aforementioned Charvin and Texier with an occasional splurge on Rayas if I find it at a good price.

As they both say, no Châteauneuf-du-Pape is going to give you acidity and minerality; however, I find Erix Texier’s version to be very aromatic, maybe even more so than Charvin.

Yes, Texier. It’s hard to find and pricey when you do. But it may be closer to what the OP was asking for than any other domaine mentioned as a matter of style. For those in the US, the Weygandt project, Chapelle St. Theodoric is also worth noting.

Agreed. I like the Chapelle St. Theodoric Grand Pin a lot. I rarely drink it though. I think I may drink either a 1998 or 2000 Charvin tonight.

I like the 98 a lot better. The 00 is quite nice and avoids the fatness of that year, but it’s a little on the austere side. His 01, however, is great.

What about Gigondas? While I did get some Pape–my two favorite producers might be Domaine du Cayron Gigondas and Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas.

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Yeah, I’ve had a couple of bottles of the 2001 lately. BTW, I should mention that the bottles were a result of some cellar thinning by John S.

I don’t regularly drink Gigondas (honestly, the grenache based wine I drink the most are Gramenon) except for Gour de Chaulé, which I like a lot. I enjoyed Cayron back in the day, but it has been a long time since I’ve had a bottle.

Clos du Mont Olivet, more so than most others (but not their super-cuvee, just the regular CdP). Also, relatively speaking, I’d say Beaucastel. Vieux Telegraphe has been extremely ripe in the past few vintages, so much so that I would not put them in this camp anymore.

Beaucastel and Vieux Donjon are my two favorites in CDP and I think are more restrained.

Yes to Saint Damien. I find Cayron too variable, though I was a fan in the 90s. After that, the ones I drink regularly are Gour de Chaule, Raspail d’Ay, Domaine la Garrigue (alas not available in the US) and a relatively new one, d’Ourea. Oh. also Joncuas.

Give Cayron another try. The last two vintages have been some of my favorite wines. The most herbes de Provence/garrigue I’ve ever encountered.
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