97
Wine Spectator
"This delivers a lush, enticing blast of cassis and raspberry and boysenberry preserve flavors, carried by a silky structure that lets the fruit play out at length, giving adequate time for black tea, singed apple wood, dried anise and fruitcake notes to fill in throughout. Dreamy. Grenache. Best from 2020 through 2040. 600 cases made."
93-95 Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media
"Brilliant violet. Sexy, spice- and mineral-accented aromas of ripe red berries and incense carry a suave floral topnote. Juicy, penetrating and concentrated yet lithe, displaying impressive power and lift to the raspberry liqueur, spicecake and lavender pastille flavors. Closes with resonating spiciness, silky, slow-building tannins and a strong echo of sappy red fruit. The marriage of depth and vivacity here is quite impressive."
95 Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com
"Made from 100% Grenache, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a more opulent, hedonistic effort compared to the Renaissance and offers killer notes of plums, caramelized black cherries, spring flowers and licorice. Possessing sweet tannin, impeccable balance and a finish that won’t quit, drink it anytime over the coming 15 years or more."
93 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The pure Grenache 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (from 95-year-old vines) was raised in demi-muids. A lifted nose of raspberry liqueur leads into a full-bodied, creamy, supple wine that carries a bit of alcoholic warmth into the long, silky-textured finish.
At Domaine de Cristia, the estate has been certified organic since 2008, but now Baptiste Grangeon is changing up the winemaking. "The 2015 is the last year made the way I always did," he said. In 2016, he used more whole clusters and a touch of oak, looking for more complexity in his wines. Most of the domaine's wines are located in the lieu-dit Cristia, which has mainly sandy soils well suited to Grenache. "
"Domaine de Cristia was established in 1942 with 2 hectares of vines; all grapes were sold to négociants until the children of the current winemaker took over and bottled the first Domaine de Cristia wine in 1999. Brother and sister Baptiste and Dominique Grangeon are now running the winery.
Today, they have 20 hectares of vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape spread over four different lieu-dits near Rayas with varying soil-types with sand, clay and calcaire and galets. Ninety percent of the vines are in the lieu-dits Cristia. These parcels of Châteauneuf-du-Pape benefit from a cool, fresh north-easterly exposition which allows the grapes and wines to develop supple, elegant tannins.Their Syrah and Mourvèdre vines average 50 years-old and they have some Grenache that is over 100 years-old.
The domaine follows organic agriculture for all work in the vineyards and have been certified from the 2008 vintage. No chemical fertlizers, herbicides or pesticides are used to treat the soils or the vines. Ploughing and weeding are practiced according to the blocks and the yields desired. Vines are treated with copper sulphate and sulphur occasionally blended with a nettle infusion/tea (4 to 5 times a year). Only organic fertlizer is used – i.e. sheep manure.
The grapes are selected in the vineyard and then destemmed before being put into vats. Three weeks of fermentation and maceration in concrete vats follow, with the use of indigenous yeasts. Temperatures are kept low in order to produce aromatic wines. They do not insist on any massive extraction, but prefer the ‘matiere’ to express itself. (Due to the work in the vineyards, the grapes possess enough concentration). The pressed juice and free-run juice are blended together according to the vintage. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are aged in concrete vats and barrels for 18 months. Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de Pays are aged only in concrete vats for 8 to 12 months.
The Domaine de Cristia wines are always have a notable finesse and elegance." -Importer
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