2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Impériale, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Impériale, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

Product: 20118015255
 
2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Impériale, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

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Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
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Description

One of the stars of the 2010 vintage, the Impériale has performed strongly again in 2011. Made up of 90% centurion Grenache (some of which is actually 110 years old) and a blend of other ancient vines (the identity of which is not always clear, such is their great age) this is fermented and matured in concrete only. Therefore the musculature and concentration is from the fruit only. This is almost the archetype of traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape, complete with powerful tannins, uncompromisingly savoury flavours and a pleasing twist of rusticity.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer

To have two famous Usseglios in a small village just north of Avignon, both making sublime red and white wines, may seem a rather strange. They share of course, the same Italian scion, and now thanks to the great advances made here by Stéphane, son of Raimond, also share a similar reputation. Indeed if the scoring system of he who shall remain nameless is to be believed, this branch of the family now appears to be marginally in the ascendant.

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Critics reviews

Wine Advocate93/100
A gorgeous wine in the vintage, the 2011 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Imperiale Vignes Centenaire comes from 100+-year-old vines and is a field blend of almost all Grenache. Aged completely in concrete tank, it offers a sweet bouquet of black cherry liqueur, blackberry, roasted herbs, melted licorice and smoked earth to go with a voluptuous, up-front and fruit-loaded profile on the palate. While a fair step back from the incredible 2010, its a gorgeous, full-bodied and beautifully balanced effort that will drink well through 2026. Drink 2014-2026.
Jeb Dunnuck - 31/10/2013 Read more
Jancis Robinson MW17/20
96% Grenache, 4% 'other' grape varieties. Very dark blackish crimson. Headily potent with some floral notes. Very smooth and polished. Firm with sufficient ripe fruit for the acidity. No excess alcohol nor tannin. One of the more muscular examples. It’s not playing the intense ripe fruit card.
Jancis Robinson MW, jancisrobinson.com – 28 Feb 2013 Read more
Robert Parker90-92/100
The 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale Vignes Centenaire, which comes from some of the appellation’s oldest vines (planted in 1901 and 1902), is composed of 90% Grenache and the rest a field blend of other authorized varietals. Aged primarily in tank with a small percentage in barrel, the ripe, dense 2011 is one of the stars of the vintage. Notes of melted road tar, licorice, blackberries, cassis and incense are all present in this super-rich, forward, lush, opulent wine. Enjoy it over the next 10-15 years.

This classic winemaking estate, which employs the well-known Xavier Vignon as their consultant, owns over 45 acres spread throughout Chateauneuf du Pape, with the largest holdings in the north. Raymond Usseglio’s 2011s are very strong efforts.
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #204, Dec 2012 Read more

About this WINE

Domaine Raymond Usseglio

Domaine Raymond Usseglio

This third-generation family domaine, of Italian origin, is today run by Raymond’s son, Stéphane Usseglio. The estate counts 24-hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all of which have been managed biodynamically since 2011. Their vineyards are divided equally between the galet-strewn parcels around Orange, the sandy soils of Courthézon and the alluvial, clay soils of the Crau plateau and the village of Bédarrides. Stéphane continues to innovate, using small, new oak barrels alongside the traditional foudres, as well as experimenting with concrete and terracotta amphorae of varying shapes and sizes. These winemaking techniques enhance the characteristics of each grape variety, carefully highlighting the particularities of each.

Stéphane’s 2021 wines are a great success, albeit 20-25% down in volume against their average yield. The wines show their trademark power and structure; but as we’ve seen with other producers, they also have lower levels of alcohol and higher acidity than the last two vintages. While this freshness makes them more approachable in youth than in some years, their structure will ensure they are nonetheless worthy of cellar ageing. They are wines to return to throughout their ageing process.

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape

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.

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Southern Rhône Blend

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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