2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Domaine des Saumades, Rhône

2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Domaine des Saumades, Rhône

Product: 20158005322
 
2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Domaine des Saumades, Rhône

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
You can place a bid for this wine on BBX

Description

Made with 100 percent Grenache from the sandy soils just to the north of the Crau plateau, Saumades is an elegant, almost feminine wine, with a floral charm on the nose and a pleasing purity of hedgerow fruit on the palate. The 2015 vintage was warm but not overwhelmingly hot, as evidenced by the depth of colour in this wine - episcopal and almost luminous; by the generous aromas of blueberry, forest floor and thyme; and by an impressive texture in the mouth, which marries firm, yet silky tannins and a fulsome, seductive core of fruit. It is a near-neighbour, both stylistically and geographically, to Château Rayas. Drink now to 2025.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

The Mousset family, rather like the Perrins or the Sabons, seem to dominate the landscape of the Southern Rhône, be it through the management of the distinctive Domaine des Fines Roches hotel, or the ownership of one of the largest estates in the valley (Clos St Michel), or one of the smallest (Domaine des Saumades). With Château Rayas as one’s immediate neighbour, even 2.5 hectares can go a long way.

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

Critics reviews

Wine Advocate94/100
One thing I learned from this blind tasting is that I definitely have a soft spot for Grenache off sandy sites, like this 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape, which is 100% Grenache from Pignan (Nord). Garrigue, cherry and anise mark the nose, while the palate is creamy in texture and the licorice-tinged finish is silky. This complete, all-around effort should drink well for a decade or more.
Joe Czerwinski - 31/10/2017 Read more

About this WINE

Domaine Des Saumades

Domaine Des Saumades

Four generations of Moussets have been winemakers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. However, in 1995, Frank Mousset, whose day job is at another winery with his brother-in-law, was approached to buy a 2.5-hectare parcel in the Pignan lieu-dit, beside Château Rayas. Franck and wife Murielle, then opened Domaine des Saumades, only making wine here.

The sandy soils here are perfect for Grenache. Franck also had the foresight to plant Mourvèdre here around six years ago. He believes Mourvèdre is key to countering the effects of climate change on Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s wines. Adding freshness, balance and Franck says, getting better annually in this parcel (currently, converting to organic certification). Since 2019 he has added 10% Mourvèdre into his otherwise pure Grenache red wine. The wines were very good but, with Mourvèdre, they are stunning. The white, typically 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Clairette and 25% Bourboulenc, displays myriad flavours from fresh citrus to warming vanilla. This is what Châteauneuf-du-Pape is all about.

Find out more
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.

Find out more
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.

Find out more