Font du Loup Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Puy Rolland, Rhone, France 2023

Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Le Puy Rolland” 2023 is a striking, terroir driven expression of old-vine Grenache, sourced from a single sandy parcel planted as far back as 1905. Crafted with a light touch fermented in concrete and aged in large neutral foudre it emphasizes finesse and purity over power. The 2023 shows lifted aromatics of kirsch, wild strawberry, orange peel, and dried flowers, with a silky, medium to full bodied palate, ultra-fine tannins, and a long, elegant finish. It’s a more refined, almost Rayas-inspired style of Châteauneuf focused on transparency, perfume, and balance rather than weight.

"Entirely crafted from Grenache Noir, the 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Puy Rolland Vieilles Vignes is my favorite in this estate's lineup. Revealing a delicate and perfumed bouquet of dark cherries, spices, flowers and elderflower, it has by a medium- to full-bodied, layered and textured palate framed by velvety tannins with a fleshy core of fruit that culminates in a long, ethereal and very fresh finish enhanced by gastronomic bitterness. Matured for 18 months in foudres, it's sourced from vines planted on sandy soils." Wine Advocate 94