Ratings:
92-94
Jeb Dunnuck - jebdunnuck.com
A blend of mostly Grenache, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape was brought up mostly in foudre with a small portion in barrels. Semi-opaque ruby-hued, with lots of floral, spicy, peppery, Provençal aromas and flavors, it's medium to full-bodied, has a ripe, sexy, yet weightless mouthfeel, silky tannins, and a great finish. It's a gorgeous, classic Châteauneuf Du Pape that will drink well right out of the gate yet still evolve for two decades.
94 Matt Walls - Decanter
A classic, solid, well made and technically precise Châteauneuf. It’s complete, with ample ripe tannins, a firm, dense base of concentrated black fruits leading to a long finish. The wine is introspective and painfully young, and will need time to harmonise. But it has the freshness, balance and power required for long ageing. Likely to be good value.
92 James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
Full nose of red plums and candied oranges with notes of cinnamon and allspice. Rich, full-bodied palate with plenty of powdery tannins that gently build through the long, moderately firm finish. A cuvee of 70% grenache and 15% each of syrah and mourvedre. Drink or hold.
Product Description:
Domaine de la Janasse is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer owned and operated by the Sabon family. It was founded in 1967 by Aimé Sabon when he took over the vineyards of his father, who had been selling fruit to a wine cooperative.
A cellar was completed in 1973 and the name "La Janasse" was chosen from a local regional name in Courthézon to the north of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the family farm was located. In 1991 Aimé's son Christophe joined the estate, followed by his daughter Isabelle in 2001.
Domaine de la Janasse began with 15 hectares (37 acres) of estate vineyards and now has more than 90 hectares (220 acres), with 15 hectares (37 acres) in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The winery makes a number of wines including red and white Côtes du Rhone, and a number of IGP wines, but the flagship wines have always been the Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds. The winery makes three distinct expressions: Domaine de la Janasse Tradition, Chaupin and Vieilles Vignes.
It also makes a white version of Tradition and a second white wine called Prestige.
Janasse grows all 13 permissible grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, from the standard Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah to lesser known components like Counoise, Vaccarèse, and Bourboulenc. Many of the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties, along with Syrah, are planted in the slightly cooler vineyards to the north in east-exposed vineyards.
Mourvèdre is planted in sites where galets (large river stones) abound. These alluvial stones retain heat and allow the grapes to reach greater physiological ripeness.
The most significant variety in the region is Grenache, which is planted throughout the domaine vineyards. However, Janasse separates fruit from northern vineyards for use in varietal wines, and fruit in southern vineyards for blends where it can be balanced by other grapes.
