2005 Domaine Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape
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Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
Jeb Dunnuck, Wine Advocate
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More elegant than the traditional cuvee, the 2005 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale is almost all Grenache and comes from 100-year-old vines planted in the lieux-dits of Piallon and Girardette (which are both sandy terroirs). Vinified and aged all in concrete, it offers beautiful notes of spring flowers, plum, violets, licorice and seaweed to go with a medium to full-bodied, seamless and pure texture that keeps you coming back to the glass. It’s drinking nicely now, yet is still youthful and relatively unevolved, all of which suggest it has at least another decade of longevity.
About the producer
Domaine Raymond Usseglio is one of the leading producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, producing a number of different red and white cuvées from the appellation. The domaine’s most famous wine is their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Impériale, which comes exclusively from vines that are over 100 years old.