Chapelle St. Theodoric - Chateauneuf-Du-Pape "Le Grand Pin" 2021 750ml (14.5% abv)

a very pretty and elegant expression of CdP - they aren't all big, high octane, full bodied wines - and this demonstrates that fact beautifully

Chapelle St. Theodoric is a project between winemaker Baptiste Grangeon and Peter Weygandt. this cuvee from a parcel at the top of Pignan, literally adjoining the vines of Château Rayas, (which starts around $600-$1000 a bottle!)  in pure sand and also pure, old vines Grenache. The vinification is traditional, that is to say, whole-cluster, such as employed by Jacques Reynaud at Château Rayas, Laurent Charvin, Henri Bonneau.  The Grand Pin, perhaps because the sand is nearly pure white, perhaps the higher elevation or due to some other factor we have not yet determined, makes a wine that is lower in alcohol, more perfumed and finer. This is one of the purest expression possible of grenache, very much reminiscent of Rayas, without the price tag.

Tasting Notes: "From 35-year-old Grenache in Pignan, vinified as whole clusters and then aged 24 months in older demi-muids, this is a floral, ethereal expression of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, marked by scents of roses, lavender, strawberry compote and hints of pine resin. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky-textured, sappy, slightly green-tinged, refreshing and long on the finish."- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate. 

"The 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Le Grand Pin offers a slightly fresher style compared to the La Guigasse, which always tends to be a slightly more powerful wine. Black raspberries, wild strawberries, resinous herbs, chalky minerality, and floral notes all give way to a medium-bodied, tight, more inward yet elegant and seamless effort that's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age. As with the 2020, this is all Grenache from Pignan that was not destemmed and is aging in used demi-muids."- Jeb Dunnuck. 

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