2021 Chateau Mont Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Half Bottle 375ml, Southern Rhone

Bottled in June of this year, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape checks in as 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre and other assorted varieties. It's another Burgundian-styled wine from this vintage with lots darker berries, redcurrants, pepper, and Provençal garrigue that carry to a medium-bodied supple, elegant, layered Châteauneuf revealing ripe tannins, beautiful balance, and outstanding length. It's a terrific success in the vintage.

I love seeing Pierre Fabre bring Mont-Redon back to its prior glory. I think this estate is unquestionably producing some of the top wines of the appellation today, and that should be no surprise given the incredible terroir of this estate. Looking at the Châteauneuf du Pape releases, there’s a classic cuvée and a Le Plateau cuvée, both in red and white. The classic cuvée is, as you would expect, a classic expression of the appellation and brought up in tank and used oak. Both Le Plateau releases come from the prime upper plateau terroir (think La Crau, only in the northwestern portion of the appellation) and see more new oak. In general, these Le Plateau releases are serious, concentrated wines that demand bottle age. In addition to the Châteauneuf du Pape, this estate produces a bevy of releases from throughout the Southern Rhône, all of which merit attention.

92 points jebdunnuck.com

60 % Grenache Noir, 30 % Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre & 2% Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin & Vaccarèse. Hand harvested and 100 % destemmed before fermentation over 15 to 20 days, with extraction via plunging the cap as required. Following the malolactic, a rigorous selection is performed and batches that do not meet the Estate’s quality criteria are sold in bulk.
 
The selected batches are matured for 12 months in approximately 50 % barrels and 50 % stainless steel tanks. At this point another selection is made and any lesser batches are again sold in bulk. The final blend is then assembled in tank and matured for a further 6 months before bottling, then a further 4 to 6 months in bottle before it is available for shipping.