2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Terroir Les Safres, Ogier Caves des Papes
Critics reviews
Robert M. Parker, Jr. - 31/10/2011
About this WINE
Ogier Caves des Papes
It is impossible to get closer to the centre of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape, literally and figuratively than the address 10 Avenue Louis Pasteur, homestead of one of the finest and most successful Négociant houses in the South of the Rhône, the Southern equivalent, in a way, of even more famous establishments from the Northern Rhône, Maisons Guigal and Chapoutier.
With an impressive range, including the famous Clos De L'Oratoire and extensive vineyard holdings both within and without the appellation, Ogier Cave Des Papes is run with vision on the fruits of the finest raw materials (grapes!) and has richly deserved its fine reputation.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The most celebrated village of the Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the birthplace of the now indispensable French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée system – imperfect though it may be. Compared to the Northern Rhône, the vineyards here are relatively flat and often feature the iconic galet pebbles – the precise benefits of which are a source of much debate. Minimum alcohol levels required by the AOC are the highest in France, but at 12.5% it is well below the natural generosity of Grenache, which only achieves its full aromatic potential when it is fully ripe and laden with the resultant high sugars. Syrah and Mourvèdre contribute the other defining elements in the blend, adding pepper, savoury spice and structure to the decadent Grenache. There are a further 10 permitted red grape varieties which can be used to adjust the “seasoning”. Of the five white varieties permitted, it is Grenache Noir’s sibling – predictably perhaps – Grenache Blanc, which dominates, though Roussanne shows a great deal of promise when handled well, notably at Château de Beaucastel.
Southern Rhône Blend
The vast majority of wines from the Southern Rhône are blends. There are 5 main black varieties, although others are used and the most famous wine of the region, Châteauneuf du Pape, can be made from as many as 13 different varieties. Grenache is the most important grape in the southern Rhône - it contributes alcohol, warmth and gentle juicy fruit and is an ideal base wine in the blend. Plantings of Syrah in the southern Rhône have risen dramatically in the last decade and it is an increasingly important component in blends. It rarely attains the heights that it does in the North but adds colour, backbone, tannins and soft ripe fruit to the blend.
The much-maligned Carignan has been on the retreat recently but is still included in many blends - the best old vines can add colour, body and spicy fruits. Cinsault is also backtracking but, if yields are restricted, can produce moderately well-coloured wines adding pleasant-light fruit to red and rosé blends. Finally, Mourvèdre, a grape from Bandol on the Mediterranean coast, has recently become an increasingly significant component of Southern Rhône blends - it often struggles to ripen fully but can add acidity, ripe spicy berry fruits and hints of tobacco to blends.
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Description
With their unparalleled access and expertise in the region, Ogier have developed an award-winning range based on the four predominant soil types in the famous village of Châtauneuf-du-Pape. Safre means compressed fine sand; a terroir originating from marine sediment which is relatively low in limestone and devoid of the picturesque pebbles encountered elsewhere in the village. These soils are most commonly found in the central eastern vineyards, the most famous example being Château Rayas.
The blend is made up of 65% Grenache, the rest is Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. The Safres 2009 bears all the hallmarks of this superb vintage with lively high-toned aromatics of violets, macerated plum and pot pourri, then a palate which is silky and elegant but not without the classic savoury and herbal notes for which this village is so famous.
(Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer)
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