2018 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum Magnum
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| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 1.5 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2022 - 2031 |
Description
Clos Saint Jean can easily be counted as one of the top houses in the appellation. It is a company with a huge history of international top scores. Clos Saint Jean makes Châteauneuf-du-Pape as Châteauneuf-du-Pape was intended. In addition, the winery also makes a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse that is among the best in the region.
Sourced from one small plot in the famous La Crau part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This plot was planted in 1905 and produces low yields. After harvest, the grapes are destemmed. Some of the grapes are crushed (depending on the harvest year). The grapes are then fermented in concrete barrels. This can take up to 35 days, including peeling. After fermentation, the wine undergoes maturation in demi-muids (640 liter oak barrels).
It is characterized by the new oak demi-muids, with layers of vanilla and cedar lying atop lush cherry fruit on the nose, and lightly drying wood tannins visible on the full palate and continuing into the long finish. Personally, I prefer the less noticeable wood influences and nuanced complexities in the estate's other premium cuvées in 2018, but the hedonistic appeal of this 100% Grenache is undeniable.
The pure Grenache Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum was matured in a combination of clay amphorae and new demi-muids. It's a huge but fruit-driven wine, rich in raspberries and stone fruit, with complexity in the form of dried spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Creamy and intense, it's a roller coaster of exuberance, but ultimately elegant as it glides towards an almost endless finish.
Specifications
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Appellation | Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Winery | Clos Saint Jean |
| Grape | Grenache |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Drinking as of | 2022 |
| Drinking till | 2031 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 1.5 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
Wijnhuis
Clos Saint Jean can easily be counted as one of the top houses in the appellation. It is a company with an enormous history of international top scores. Clos Saint Jean makes Châteauneuf-du-Pape as Châteauneuf-du-Pape is meant to be. In addition, the winery also makes a Vin de Pays de Vaucluse that is among the best in the region.
The Clos Saint Jean brand has been around since 1910 and has always stood for traditionally made, tough, red wines in what would later be called the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. In 2001, the two brothers Pascal and Vincent Maurel took the decision to change course and deviate from the way their father, Guy Maurel, who died prematurely in 2002. Guy Maurel was a traditional winemaker, who preferred to spend his time in the vineyard. Many of his colleagues praise his vineyards as "the most beautiful in Châteauneuf". There had to be more to it, the brothers thought. They hired the help of winemaker Philippe Cambie for the 2002 harvest. Unfortunately, that harvest was one that does not happen very often in Châteauneuf: a very bad one. The brothers decide not to bottle anything under their own name and sell their entire harvest in bulk.
In 2003 they try again and this time it goes well: they make what are perhaps the best wines of the vintage. Robert Parker wrote about the wines of Clos Saint Jean: "Châteauneuf-du-Pape or even red wine in general simply can't be any better than this".
Today, Pascal and Vincent Maurel are in charge of the domain. The vineyard area is a total of 43 hectares, a large part of which is also old vines.
Reviews
