Tasting from 20.04.2023
2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape: A Star is Born
Rarely have the red Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines shown themselves to be so seductve and accessible at such an early stage, even though they also have the stature for extended botle ageing. Charm and fruit, coupled with amazing freshness and great drinking animaton, make this high calibre wine from the southern Rhône an absolute must.
Falstaf, thanks to the energetc support of the Maison des Vignerons Châteauneuf-du-Pape, was once again able to conduct a large vintage tastng and can make a large number of recommendatons – a 100 point wine included.
Text: Peter Moser
The weather played a signifcant role: climatc conditons laid the foundaton for a wide range of very appealing wines from the 2020 vintage. A winter heavy in precipitaton ensured an essental supply of moisture to the soils throughout the growing season. Spring was mild, dry and with plenty of sunshine.
As a result, budding began relatvely early, fowering was quite uniform, and the conditons for an early harvest were in place. The early summer was dry; only in June was there some rain, exactly at the right tme to prepare for the warm, but not excessively hot summer. The summer nights brought sufcient cooling to preserve a certain freshness for the wines.
The white harvest began at the end of August, followed by Syrah at the beginning of September. In the middle of the month it was the turn of Mourvèdre and Grenache.
There were occasional short rain showers but sunshine mainly prevailed during the harvest. By the beginning of October, almost all the grapes were in the cellars.
The style: seductve and very accessible; the result of the very good climatc conditons are red wines with a juicy core, a good fruit expression, elegant texture and good freshness. Depending on the varietal dominance, the wines show more or less spiciness and the ripe, velvety tannins are striking. Thus, even in youth, the wines show immense charm and accessibility.
The fruit component is descriptve of red berry more than dark berry and thanks to their harmony they can be enjoyed from opening. The alcohol levels are between 14.5 and 15.5%, but due to a good balance the wines are not perceived as heavy, but rather as full-bodied. 2020 can therefore be drunk very young, but there is nothing to prevent an extended period of ageing.
The wines especially from the northern sandy-limestone terroirs, which are dominated by Grenache, have an almost Burgundian character, while the wines from the deeper soils, such as the Galets Roulés with clay subsoil of La Crau, are very complex and juicy, with tannins for the long run.
Info: www.chateauneuf.com www.vinadea.com
Link to online: The best red wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020.
Link to online: The best white wines from Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2021 and 2022
