Our Châteauneuf-du-Pape Not For You! is made
in the traditional way, the vines are over 110 years
old. The grapes are harvested
manually, not destemmed. Fermentation is monitored
by thermo-regulation and lasts between 30 to 45 days.
The wine is aged in barrels for a period of 36 months
and then bottled.
TASTING :
The emotion felt by Thierry and Jean Pierre when
tasting this 95-year-old Grenache inspired them to
create this cuvée in which the grape variety
expresses all its power and generosity.
The Not For You! is a rich expressive and
concentrated wine with a delicate and tasty
aromatic. It is a powerful wine with great
elegance.
2019 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Not For You !
A wine you don’t see often (there’s only one barrel made), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Not For You is 100% Grenache from the 100+-year-old vines in the Les Serres lieu-dit that’s brought up in a new demi-muid. It’s a monster of a wine offering a Southern Rhône street market-like array of red and black fruits, peppery garrigue, lavender, cured meats, and spicy oak. Incredibly unique, full-bodied, heady, and concentrated, it’s not going to be for everyone, but it’s a singular Châteauneuf du Pape I suspect best enjoyed at the end of a meal.
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Not For You is flat-out awesome, and Grenache doesn’t get any better in this reviewer’s opinion. Coming from 100-year-old vines in the Les Serres lieu-dit, in the southern end of the appellation, it was not destemmed and was brought up in a single new demi-muid. Incredible aromatics of darker berries, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, lavender, and leather are just some of its nuances, and this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, opulent mouthfeel, full-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great, great finish. While this is a massive wine by any measure, it’s not over the top, stays perfectly balanced, has ripe tannins, and is an incredibly singular wine. Unfortunately, it will be just about impossible to find in the market. If you’re lucky enough to find a bottle, it should be at its best from 2026-2041.
2016 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Not For You !
There’s a single barrel of the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Not For You, which is 100% Grenache from the Les Serres lieu-dit from the oldest vines of the estate. It wasn’t destemmed and spent two years in a neutral barrel. It offers an incredible bouquet of kirsch, blackberries, incense, white flowers, garrigue and spice that develops beautifully with time in the glass. Rich, powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated, it nevertheless glides over the palate with no weight, ultra-fine tannins, and a singular, exotic, lengthy style.
Unquestionably one of the top estates in France is that of brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio, whose estate is located just north of the village of Châteauneuf du Pape, on the route to Orange. They pull from roughly 60 hectares of vines and the lineup has grown to include a Vin de France l’Unique, which replaces their Côtes Du Rhône, as well as a terrific Lirac. Looking at their Châteauneuf du Papes, the classic cuvée is always a Grenache heavy blend that include 15-20% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, as well as a small amount of Cinsault. This cuvée is normally mostly destemmed (the 2017 has around 30% stems) and is brought up in a mix of used barrels. The Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Mon Aïeul always comes from the La Serres, La Crau, and La Guigasse lieux-dits and is 100% Grenache. It can vary from being completely destemmed or not at all depending on the vintage, and while past vintages saw a touch of new oak, it’s raised all in used demi-muids today. They also produce a tiny amount of their Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres and it’s always been a more modern styled cuvée in the past, but the amount of new oak has been cut dramatically in recent vintages, with the 2016 only seeing 20% new barrels. This cuvée is always a cellar selection of the top lots in any vintage, and it’s unfortunately not made in either 2017 or 2018. Lastly, and only in great vintages, they’ll pull out a single barrel from the Les Serres lieu-dit that’s from the oldest vines of the estate. This “Not For You” cuvée has been released in 2007, 2010, and 2016, and it’s Grenache at its most sexy, flamboyant, and over the top.
