Domaine La Barroche Chateauneuf-du-Pape Pure rouge 2011 1.5 Litre

Variety: 100% Grenache
Country, Region: France, Rhone Valley
Appellation: Chateauneuf-du-Pape

100% Grenache from a single plot of vines planted 1901 in sandy soil at the junction of Grand Pierre, Rayas and Pointu vineyards. Partial whole-bunch ferment with under-ripe stalks removed. Fermented in tulip-shaped concrete tank on skins for 4 weeks with very gentle extraction, then aged in an old oak foudre for 20 months before bottling unfined and unfiltered.

‘Bright purple. Room-filling aromas of black and blue fruit liqueur, sandalwood, licorice and candied lavender. Sweet, deeply concentrated and expansive, offering palate-coating blueberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors and an intense floral pastille quality. Shows striking power on the sappy, penetrating finish, which is firmed by chewy but harmonious tannins.' Josh Raynolds, Vinous, January 2014.

'[Barroche] ‘Pure’ is as close to a great vintage of Rayas as one will find.' Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate.

Whilst this small estate is relatively new to estate bottling (first vintage 2003) in the list of producers of Chateauneuf, the Barrot family that owns these 12.5 hectares of Chateauneuf-du-Pape have been established in the village since about 1400. The average age of the vines at La Barroche is 60 years old and one third of the vineyards are more than 100 years old (Grenache). Most of the vineyards of the estate are located in the north and north-east of the appellation with just a few plots located close to the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape on the southern side.

Vinification here is classic with cement tanks used for fermentation and a mixture of cement and large foudres used for elevage of the Grenache based components and smaller oak used for the ageing of Syrah and Mourvedre based components. In the cellar wine is moved by gravity and done according to the lunar calendar and weather patterns. The wines of La Barroche are modern in the best sense, clean, pure and brilliant.