2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Pure Roussane, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Pure Roussane, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

Product: 20218031680
Prices start from £265.00 per case Buying options
2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Pure Roussane, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

Buying options

Available by the case In Bond. Pricing excludes duty and VAT, which must be paid separately before delivery. Storage charges apply.
Case format
Availability
Price per case
6 x 75cl bottle
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £265.00
BBX marketplace BBX 1 case £295.00
You can place a bid for this wine on BBX

Description

Unusually for Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is made exclusively from old vine Roussanne. A nose of creamed apricots and ripe pears compliments a palate of juicy citrus fruit and peach. Lees ageing and 100% new oak bring a textured, weighty note that melts into a zesty, saline finish. There is a hint of bitter almonds and red apple skins. This is truly exquisite. Drink now to 2030. 

wine at a glance

Delivery and quality guarantee

Critics reviews

Decanter96/100
Relatively brisk and nimble for a pure Roussanne, this isn't as oaked as some, which helps the fruit to shine through more clearly. It's zesty and fresh, with an edging of cinnamon sugar from the oak. Rich and long, but with great freshness and length. Well balanced, this is very good winemaking on show. Grown on galets roulés and sand in the lieux-dits of Bois Sénéchaux and Terres Blanches. 60% is aged in foudres, 40% in new barriques. Just 4,000 bottles produced.

2022-2040

Matt Walls, Decanter (October 2022) 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.

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
Roussanne

Roussanne

Roussanne is one of the most important white grape varieties in the Rhône Valley. It is a particularly pernickety grape to cultivate being a notoriously low yielder as well as being highly susceptible to rot. It is difficult to ripen, and seemingly prone to oxidation at every opportunity. Roussanne's name comes from its russet-coloured skin and it produces richly aromatic wines, often with fruit characteristics of lime and blossom.

In the northern Rhône it is typically blended with Marsanne to produce the white wines of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, St-Joseph, and St-Péray. Generally Marsanne is the dominant partner and it lends colour, body and weight to the blend, as well as richly scented fruit, while Roussanne contributes bouquet, delicacy and finesse.

It is grown less extensively in the southern Rhône although it is one of the permitted varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. There are plantings of Roussanne in the Languedoc and Rousillon and in the last decade the grape have been cultivated with particular success in California, where it is produced both as a single varietal and as a component of Rhône-style blends.

Find out more