2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne
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Tasting notes
Showing consistently to last year, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne is a rich, powerful white that does everything right. Coming from a single parcel of very old Roussanne and aged in 50% new oak, it offers a stunning bouquet of honeyed pineapple and stone fruits as well as notes white flowers, green almonds, honeycomb, and a kiss of toasted bread. It’s rich yet also fresh, has flawless balance, and a great finish. It’s geared for the dinner table and should evolve for another decade or more. It’s stunning white and one of the finest examples of Roussanne out there. Château de Vaudieu is located in the center of the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation, just south of Rayas. The estate is impeccably run by Laurent Bréchet with the winemaking falling to consultant Philippe Cambie. Today they release a number of special cuvees based largely on individual parcels around the domaine. The winemaking can be thought of as quasi-modern, with most of the wines destemmed and brought up in older barrels and demi-muids. New oak is kept to a minimum and the wines always show Provençal, elegant characters. In addition to the brilliant reds, this estate fashions some of the greatest whites in the appellation!
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
100% Roussanne. Aged for 12 months in oak (50% new). Tasted blind. Strong oak influence on the nose, overriding the fruit with toasted spice aromas. Confected tropical fruits give the palate better balance, although the finish returns to 100% oak flavour. Good winemaking, but this will be divisive according to personal preference. (RH)
The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Vieilles Roussanne is a not-so-subtle dark straw in hue, with obvious toast and honeyed aromas alongside hints of mocha and malt. All barrel-fermented and aged, it's fleshed out on the full-bodied, velvety-textured palate by flavors of tangerine and pineapple, which show remarkable freshness and verve on the lingering finish. In one of my notes on this wine, I actually wrote the word "long" three times. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.