M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac 2019

Type: Red Wine      Volume: 750ml

Winery: M. Chapoutier Chateauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac 2019

Country: France     Region: Rhone

District: 

Grapes Varieties: 

Classification:      Production: 

Alcohol:      Packing: 

Ratings and Tasting Notes:

RP96. A strong effort, Chapoutier's tank-aged 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac is 100% Grenache from a parcel of old vines near the western edge of the appellation. As always, it showcases outrageously pure red raspberries and cherries, this vintage adding minor floral notes and showing less garrigue than it has in some other years. Packed with flavor, this bold, full-bodied wine features gentle waves of silky tannins, framing a long, intense finish. No matter how much time one spends with Michel Chapoutier, he always manages to say something surprising. As an owner of biodynamically farmed properties in the Rhône, a participant in several joint ventures, a proprietor in numerous wine regions, owner of a large négociant business and a former president of Inter Rhône (the region's trade body), he has a global perspective that's probably unmatched in the Rhône. Interestingly, on my latest visit, Chapoutier mentioned that he believes "Clairette is the real white grape of the south," despite not currently selling any wines that are majority Clairette. Unless those were empty words—not something I normally associate with him—I'd guess that may change going forward. These reviews are based on several visits with him and his winemaking team over the past couple of years, so they encompass some previously released wines tasted as tank samples as well as current and forthcoming releases.