2014 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Arioso, Rotem & Mounir Saouma, Rhône
Critics reviews
In Burgundy, Mounir Saouma is not a big fan of red wines made with stems, but he says he loves the effect of stems of old-vine Grenache in Châteauneuf - though other red varieties are destemmed. This pale wine is fresh, graceful and lifted, a haunting combination of sweet woodland strawberry fragrance with something much stonier, denser and meatier. The 36 months on lees have left the wine textured, juicy, full and savourous. It appears grippy under analysis, yet the tannins are so well clad that they don’t perturb. It’s an ample, searching and fine red wine, proving that width and finesse can go together in Châteauneuf.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Andrew Jefford, Decanter.com (April 2018)
From a more challenging vintage, the 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Arioso is another beautiful wine from Mounir. Medium ruby-colored and translucent, with an incredibly Burgundian bouquet of sweet cherries, strawberries, wildflowers, forest floor, and spice, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, no hard edges, and a beautiful sweetness of fruit. Gaining depth and richness, as well as structure with time in the glassy, drink this incredibly classy Châteauneuf du Pape anytime over the coming 15+ years.
Drink 2018 - 2033
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (March 2018)
About this WINE
Rotem and Mounir Saouma
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.
Grenache/Garnacha
Grenache (Noir) is widely grown and comes in a variety of styles. Believed to originate in Spain, it was, in the late 20th century, the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. Today it hovers around seventh in the pecking order. It tends to produce very fruity, rich wines that can range quite widely in their level of tannin.
In many regions – most famously the Southern Rhône, where it complements Syrah and Mourvèdre, among other grapes – it adds backbone and colour to blends, but some of the most notable Châteauneuf du Pape producers (such as Château Rayas) make 100 percent Grenache wines. The grape is a component in many wines of the Languedoc (where you’ll also find its lighter-coloured forms, Grenache Gris and Blanc) and is responsible for much southern French rosé – taking the lead in most Provence styles.
Found all over Spain as Garnacha Tinta (spelt Garnaxa in Catalonia), the grape variety is increasingly detailed on wine labels there. Along with Tempranillo, it forms the majority of the blend for Rioja’s reds and has been adopted widely in Navarra, where it produces lighter styles of red and rosado (rosé). It can also be found operating under a pseudonym, Cannonau, in Sardinia.
Beyond Europe, Grenache is widely planted in California and Australia, largely thanks to its ability to operate in high temperatures and without much water. Particularly in the Barossa Valley, there are some extraordinary dry-farmed bush vines, some of which are centuries old and produce wines of startling intensity.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
In Burgundy, Mounir Saouma is not a big fan of red wines made with stems, but he says he loves the effect of stems of old-vine Grenache in Châteauneuf - though other red varieties are destemmed. This pale wine is fresh, graceful and lifted, a haunting combination of sweet woodland strawberry fragrance with something much stonier, denser and meatier. The 36 months on lees have left the wine textured, juicy, full and savourous. It appears grippy under analysis, yet the tannins are so well clad that they don’t perturb. It’s an ample, searching and fine red wine, proving that width and finesse can go together in Châteauneuf.
Drink 2020 - 2030
Andrew Jefford, Decanter.com (April 2018)
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