Châteauneuf-du-pape,Exceptional wines
120,00 €
SOIL TYPE :
Sand and Galets roulées
GRAPE VARIETIES :
GRENACHE 100%
BREEDING :
50% of the wine is aged in demi-muids and 50% in new barrels that have been used for two to three wines.
WINE PEAK :
The optimal period for drinking it is between 15 and 20 years.
TASTING :
Ample and concentrated, this cuvée develops aromas of black fruits and licorice, as well as smoky notes. The texture is smooth and the tannic structure requires a few years of aging.
JEB DUNNUCK 2023
2023 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Freres
Not yet bottled and based on 100% Grenache from La Crau, La Guigasse, and a small amount of old vines from La Serre, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Frères is a selection of old vines aged entirely in new barrels. It brings considerably more power and richness, with smoky black cherries, cured meats, licorice, and tapenade, and it shows more floral nuances with time in the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, has a rich, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, beautifully integrated oak, and a great finish. It’s another 2006 look-alike that should need just 3-4 years of bottle age yet have 25 years of overall longevity.
One of the leading estates (as well as a personal favorite) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is Domaine Pierre Usseglio, which is run by brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio, with the next generation of Gregory Usseglio now taking a larger and larger role. They farm roughly 60 hectares and produce a wide range of wines, including a Vin de France L’Unique (which replaced their Côtes du Rhône), a terrific Lirac in both red and white, and several Châteauneuf-du-Papes. The Première Pierre is the classic cuvée (75% Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault), and there’s also the fun and eclectic Clos No 18, which includes all 18 permitted varieties… it’s never my favorite but always fun to taste. The two flagship cuvées are the Mon Aïeul (100% Grenache from Les Serres, Guigasse, and La Crau, vinified with whole clusters and aged in neutral demi-muids) and the Reserve des Deux Frères (100% Grenache from old vines, aged entirely in new barrels). These are two brilliant yet dramatically different expressions of Grenache. The 2023s are spectacular, with both the Mon Aïeul and Reserve reminding me slightly of the domaine’s 2006s (which are brilliant). The family opted not to produce their Reserve des Deux Frères cuvée in 2024, yet certainly the Mon Aïeul showed well.
Jeb Dunnuck (11/3/2021)
JEB DUNNUCK 2020
2020 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Freres
The Grenache-dominated 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape
Réserve Des Deux Frères. which includes 159% Syrah, is another behemoth of a wine from this brilliant estate that readers will adore. Still again in used barrels, it has plenty of cassis, spicy odk. pepper. violets. and licorice notes to go with a full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless style on the palate. Is certainly a bigger. richer wine compared to the Mon Aïeul. with some wood to integrate, yet it too is as seamless, pure. and layered as they come.
Jeb Dunnuck (11/3/2021)
JEB DUNNUCK 2019
2019 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Freres
The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des 2 Freres is another brilliant wine. Also all Grenache. it has a slightly darker, more dense style that carries killer notes of blackeurrants, chocolate, roasted garrigue, and spring flowers. 5 a big. rich, Châteauneuf du Pape. yet itnever goes over the edge and shows the vintage’s pure. elegant. fresher style beautifully. This blockbuster Styled barrel sample is going to need 4-5 years of battle age. andl suspect be in the top handful of wines in the. vintage.
Jeb Dunnuck (10/6/2020)
JEB DUNNUCK 2016
2016 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Freres
A deeper, darker color compared to the Mon Aieul, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Deux Freres is also 10090 Grenache that was completely destemmed and brought up all in wood, with 2005 being new. This
cuvée is always a selection of the best lots in the cellar. Crème de cassis. blackbernies, white flowers, candle wax, cured meats, street market and spice nuances all soar from the glass of this awesome wine. Deep, incredibly full-bodied, and powerful, yet also light on its feet and graceful, with elegant tannin, it’s an extraordinary wine that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and cruise for two decades.
Over the post two decades, its easy to include Domaine Pierre Usseglio as not only ane af the top addresses in Châteauneuf-du-Pape but in all of France as well They have been on a sensational roll since 1998 and have yet éo put a foot wrong. And that 5 apparent with these latest 20165, which l heleve are the best wines ever produced here. in addition to the Chôteauneuf-du-Pape releases. the estate makes a fabulous Côtes du Rhône end Lirac, bath of which over-deliver.
Jeb Dunnuck (8/28/2018)
JEB DUNNUCK 2015
2015 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Deux Freres
The 2015 Chôteouneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Deux Freres is more backward and structured, yet offers serious amounts of darker fruits, curronts, smoked herbs, roasted meats and licorice aromas and flavors. Like the Cuvée Mon Aieul, this cuvée sees plenty of stems, yet they’re beautifully integrated and balanced by masses of fruit. Full-bodied, concentrated, incredibly bottles for 4-5 years ond enjoy over the following 15-20 years.
This estate hasn’t missed a beat in the past decade (or more) and their 2015s and 20165 both check-in near the top of the pyramid It’s worth noting that this estate has storted including shightly more stems than in the past while pulling back on the new borrels. Nevertheless, this is one estate who’s wines handle their ook elevoge beautifully. They ve also created a new white special cuvee based on Grenache Blanc and Clairette, and its a terrihc wine worth seeking out (although | don’t know the price point).
Job Dunnuck (10/19/2017)
