Every wine tells a story. It can whisper secrets of the hands that tended to the vines, the relentless pursuit of perfection of the winemaker, or even display the taste of the soil and location it comes from. A way of travelling around the world by your palate alone. Wine can do that. It can take you, transport you from one region to the next, all in one evening. Granted, these are romantic notions but those are the things that come to my mind when I drink a beautiful bottle of wine. Wine IS personal. There are people and families behind those bottles and if you are willing to listen, it can be a wonderful thing.
C9P. Châteauneuf du Pape. This beautiful place has a long story and how it got its name is rooted in its history. Châteauneuf du Pape takes its name from the time when the Pope moved to Avignon in 1309. Châteauneuf du Pape means, “The Pope’s New Castle.” The move was due to issues between the King of France and the Papacy. Eight different Popes served in Avignon as the Papacy remained in Châteauneuf du Pape until 1378. The first Pope to move to Avignon was Pope Clément V, who loved his wine! How’s that for a little story?
Here’s another one for you. Although I poked and pribed to the folks at Mont-Redon, I did not have a lot to go on in terms of THEIR story. For whatever reason, my sparkling personality did not work its usual charm and I felt I had a generic response with my possibly quirky questions, which I respect. Most winemakers have been brilliant, and go out of their way to talk about their wines, but not this time. At any rate, the wine is superb and definitely worth looking at.
Photo: Château Mont-Redon
Château Mont-Redon makes a perfect example of a C9P. Since 1923, the Abeille and Fabre families have been running the estate, and today 4 brothers work together producing some of the most exciting wines coming out of the Rhône Valley. With the philosophy of making traditional wines that express terroir and each specific vintage, all brothers work within a different area. Yann Abeille follows the vineyard, Pierre Fabre is the winemaker, and Jérôme and Patrick develop the export and domestic sales respectively.
Just last week I enjoyed Mont-Redon’s 2011 Châteauneuf du Pape. Medium purple with ruby hues, the wine gives generous aromas of blackberries, plum and warm spice. This medium-bodied wine does not disappoint with ripe dark cherries, blackberries and spices. Dark chocolate weaves its way through as do the well-integrated tannins, which are medium grained and medium intensity. Refreshing – still retaining lots of acidity, with a long, complex finish. Ready to drink, or within the next seven to eight years. Keep it hidden away in your cellar for a special occasion.
Wine: Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf du Pape 2011
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mouvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin, Vaccarèse
Alcohol: 14%
SAQ Code: 00856666
Price: $47.25
Agent: Charton-Hobbs
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