Grand Veneur's Les Champauvins has long been hailed as one of the greatest Cotes du Rhones on the planet.
This old plot of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre sits just 3 meters from the vineyards of Chateau Beaucastel, arguably the greatest producer of Chateauneuf du Pape. It's the ultimate "Insider's Wine," and I love what Mr. Robert Parker had to say about it:
"This could mop the floor with many Chateauneufs."
I'm sure you are thinking this is going to cost a small fortune, but those old Grenache vines below give us a wine that tastes just like Chateauneuf, but it comes to you at less than $35!
Not only does this wine come from vineyards adjacent to Beaucastel's, the site is also blessed with the large galets or stones that Chateauneuf du Pape is known for. These rocky, well-drained soils stress the vines and yield highly flavorful grapes. You can taste that concentration in the finished wine.
A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre from a wonderful Southern Rhone year, this really embodies all of the best attributes I look for in a Southern Rhone. Dense, rich, ripe, and silky, it coats the palate with flavors of kirsch, wild berries, peppery spice, and garrigue.
Full-bodied yet supple, with fine tannins, Les Champauvins drinks like a top-flight Chateauneuf, but it costs a fraction of the price.
Rhone-loving critic Jeb Dunnuck went crazy for this one. "Châteauneuf du Pape-like notes of red and black fruits, melted licorice, and peppery garrigue all emerge from the 2022 Côtes du Rhône Les Champauvins, a rich, medium to full-bodied 2022 offering beautiful richness and depth." He went on to say "it's going to blow you away any time over the coming 7-8 years or more."Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville
