2006 Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf du Pape
Brief history of the Châteauneuf du Pape region:
Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates as “New Castle of the Pope”
To distance himself from the bustle of wars that raged in Italy at the time Pope Clement V took residence at Avignon, France in 1304. His successor, John XXII, restored and enlarged the old Episcopal residence of Châteauneuf. It was he who ordered the first grapevines to be planted in the year 1318. Initially intended as a confidential production, wine growing gained predominance as the years went by. The true renown of Châteauneuf du Pape wines date from the 13th century. — From Domain Font de Michelle website
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) in the southern Rhône wine region. Unlike its northern Rhône neighbors (primarily Syrah & Viognier), Châteauneuf-du-Pape permits thirteen different varieties of grape; the blend is usually predominantly Grenache. In recent years, the trend has been to include fewer varieties rely more heavily on blending the Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah.
A little history of the Domaine Font de Michelle:
Domaine Font de Michelle is owned and operated by the Gonnet family who has been in the region since the early 1600’s. The farmhouse which now serves as the company headquarters was built back in 1880 by Jean Etienne Gonnet. His grandson, Etienne Gonnet, created Font de Michelle in 1950.
The Wine: 2006 Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf du Pape 14.5% ABV $55
In the glass the wine has a nice dark purple color which turns slightly ruby around the edges. On the nose I get herb garden, rosemary, mint, woodsy and smokiness. On the palate I get hints of floral, earth, mint and a touch of cola dancing around on top of the tannins. This wine has full tannins and a medium – full bodied finish. On my video blog I said that this wine blew me away and it does. It has so much going on in the nose and the on the palate which up until now I was unfamiliar with. This is a thought provoking multidimensional wine!
This was the first time that I had tried a French wine, not from lack of desire but rather a lack of knowledge. I will readily admit that I was a bit overwhelmed and intimidated when it came to trying to figure out a “good” French wine vs. a “bad” one. I have to say that I am very fortunate to have an extremely knowledgeable and patient staff at my local wine bar who know my tastes and helped point me in the right direction.
Would I buy/drink this wine again?
Absolutely and I give this wine 3.5 out of 5 corks
