2017 Domaine de Saint Paul L’Insolite Chateauneuf du Pape

2017 Domaine de Saint Paul L’Insolite Chateauneuf du Pape

2017 Domaine de Saint Paul L’Insolite Chateauneuf du Pape Brambly blackberry and raspberry flavors are crystalline and fresh in this voluptuous but pert varietal Syrah. Fermented in stainless steel and matured 12 months in demi-muid, it’s an invigorating, rapturous red accented by delicate hints of crushed thyme, olive and smoke. Delightful young but should develop savory complexity for decades.

Domaine de Saint-Paul

Domaine de Saint Paul’s 2017 Châteauneuf-du-Pape ‘L’Insolite’ is simply a force to be reckoned with. This entirely Syrah cuvée is packed with the classic notes of blackcurrants, blackberries, and ground pepper famously found within the varietal. The palate enjoys a gorgeously rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, finely tuned experience that is unlike any other. Truly a work of not only mastery, but art as well.

Domaine de Saint-Paul’s 14.5 hectares, 36 acres exist in the beautiful advantage of the balance between the sun, Mistral wind, and famous rounded pebbles (galets roulés) in silica and clay soils. Each of these elements contribute to the production of delicate and rich wines. The vineyard is made up of several parcels: Pied Redon, La Combe, Palestor, Les Relagnes, Le Boucou and Les Coulets. Each of these contribute their own distinct flavor to the final wine.

Syrah

Syrah is a dark-skinned red wine grape. Its origins have been popularly debated, but its modern viticultural home is unquestionably the northern Rhône Valley of eastern France. In Australia, Syrah is the flagship variety and has developed such a distinct personality that it is essentially regarded as a distinct variety, is overwhelmingly (but not exclusively) known as Shiraz.

Syrah has proved successful around the world; wines are produced in many styles and display myriad dark-fruit flavors. Varietal Syrah can be quite floral in its youth, developing white and black pepper aromas and herbaceous notes as it ages. Some examples show tanned leather and smoky scents, while the fruit in these wines tends towards the very dark flavors of blackcurrant and licorice.

Syrah is also an extremely useful blending grape due to its deep color and typically high tannins. In the southern Rhône it is common for Syrah to be blended with any combination of Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsaut, among others.

Some of the world’s most famous Syrah wines are the peppery, earthy reds of the northern Rhône, specifically of the Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph appellations. While Hermitage has been held in high regard for many centuries, the “roasted slopes” of Côte-Rôtie have emerged as a leading source of Syrah only towards the end of the 20th Century. In Côte-Rôtie, up to 20 percent Viognier can be co-fermented with the red grapes to lift aromas and stabilize color; Syrah-Viognier blends are now made in many other regions.