Château de Nalys - Châteauneuf du Pape rouge 2019

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Powerful palate with excellent fresh fruit. The tannins are well coated, the touch caressing, the finish taut and unctuous at the same time, in this solar vintage we avoid the trap of excessive power.

About the domain :

Things are moving forward at the mighty Ampuis estate. In the north, Philippe Guigal has made no secret of his desire to eventually go organic, and recent plantings at Le Plomb have been carried out to enable winch-operated work. But it's in the south that the most important projects are underway, with a new winery operational at Château de Nalys from the 2025 harvest, and new buildings expected by 2026. Otherwise, the first tastings - still unofficial - of La Reynarde, the future new jewel in the crown of Côte Rôtie, continue, showing those who doubted the beauty of the Fongeant terroir.

Decanter

About the wine:

A fresh, poised Châteauneuf style, mineral and elegant, without excess. Well-balanced, the oak is only faintly visible in the background. It does, however, lengthen the wine, adding a layer of complexity. This is a measured, precise wine. Cultivated for the most part on rolled pebble soils, with some sand and hard sandstone, in the localities of Bois Sénéchaux, La Crau and Grand Pierre. Fermentation and ageing in a variety of containers, mainly truncated-cone and concrete vats, with 15% of the ageing in new barrels.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

A long 5-week maceration and 24 months of luxurious barrel ageing, 20% of which is new, have shaped the character of this high-expression wine. The nose reveals scents of wild berries and fresh walnuts, with a touch of leather and star anise. This complexity is fully revealed on the palate, which is full-bodied and fat, with powerful tannins and a fresh, licorice-like mouthfeel. We applaud the flawless harmony of this promising Châteauneuf, which has perfectly tamed the heat of 2019.

About the domain :

One of the oldest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, recorded as far back as the 17th century and then owned by the Nalys family. Its venerable vineyard (52 ha) underwent a renaissance in the 1950s. A sure bet in the appellation, acquired in 2017 by Maison Guigal. Organic conversion is underway.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Notes of vanilla, menthol and cedar delicately mark the nose of Chateauneuf du Pape Grand Vin 2019, which has been aged in around 20% new oak. There's no shortage of raspberries and black cherries to balance everything in this well-balanced wine that deserves to age. It's full-bodied and boasts 1% more alcohol than its Saintes Pierres sibling, with a rich, ripe palate, great concentration and a long, velvety finish that adds notes of salty licorice. A delicious wine.

Jancis Robinson

About the wine:

Juicy fruit and sweet fig spices. Fine tannic structure and light caramel note on the midpalate - toasted oak. Sweet fruit and an explosion of blue fruit pastilles on the finish. Round and elegant on the palate, but with textured tannins.

Vinous A. Galloni

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Grand Vin offers more depth, with a darker core of fruit as well as complex notes of peppery garrigue, clay soil and incense. The balance is perfect, the wine is medium to full-bodied with excellent tannins, making this a brilliant Châteauneuf du Pape with much to offer. It has the sunny style of the vintage, but loses none of its elegance and finesse. Give it 3-4 years in bottle and it should have an overall longevity of two decades.