Based mostly on Grenache with 15% each of Mourv\u00e8dre and Syrah and 10% Cinsault, the 2023 Lirac was aged for a year with each variety raised differently: Grenache in foudre, Mourv\u00e8dre in demi-muids, Syrah in barrels, and Cinsault in 300-liter muids d’Oc. Deep ruby-hued, it offers solid aromatics of ripe black cherries, peppery herbs, loamy earth, and crushed stone. It’s medium-bodied and has a nicely layered, elegant mouthfeel with ripe tannins and outstanding length. This is another beautiful 2023 from this team that will drink well over the coming 5-7 years. Drink 2025-2032.
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\nOne of the leading estates (as well as a personal favorite) in Ch\u00e2teauneuf-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 C\u00f4tes du Rh\u00f4ne), a terrific Lirac in both red and white, and several Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Papes. The Premi\u00e8re Pierre is the classic cuv\u00e9e (75% Grenache with Syrah, Mourv\u00e8dre, and Cinsault), and there’s also the fun and eclectic Clos No 18, which includes all 18 permitted varieties\u2026 it’s never my favorite but always fun to taste. The two flagship cuv\u00e9es are the Mon A\u00efeul (100% Grenache from Les Serres, Guigasse, and La Crau, vinified with whole clusters and aged in neutral demi-muids) and the Reserve des Deux Fr\u00e8res (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 A\u00efeul and Reserve reminding me slightly of the domaine’s 2006s (which are brilliant). The family opted not to produce their Reserve des Deux Fr\u00e8res cuv\u00e9e in 2024, yet certainly the Mon A\u00efeul showed well.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Jeb Dunnuck (2023)
\n\u00a9 2020 Jeb Dunnuck | Reprinted with Permission<\/p>\n