Château Maucoil Tradition Rouge 2020, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

A distinctive, intense and organic Châteauneuf-du-Pape, rich and concentrated yet with lovely balance and great elegance.

Made from organically-grown grapes, this very deeply-coloured red wine offers aromas of dried fruit and dark roast coffee on the nose. Typically bright and fresh despite its full body and intense colour, the palate shows ripe berry fruit, subtle savoury spice, and bright, upright tannins. Both savoury and fruity, with a very long finish.

Château Maucoil’s vineyards are located in the northwest of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape area (on the left bank of the River Rhône) on the appellation’s four soil types: pebbles, clay-sandstone, Urgonian limestone and, more unusually, sand. Unlike the famous pebbles of the area, sand doesn’t retain and transfer heat during the night, resulting in slower ripening and more finesse.

The youngest vines average 40 years old, so roots run deep to sustain the vines during the hot summer months. For the Tradition Rouge, four main grape varieties are selected solely from sandy soils - Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. Yields are around 25 hl/ha and harvesting is carried out by hand, with the grapes individually sorted by variety and by parcel before vinification in concrete tanks.

After around 30 days in vat, with pumping over, rack-and return and punching down, the wine is matured seperately for different lengths of time, in tanks and in 2-3 year old barrels. The wine is then blended and bottled.

Delicious with beef casserole or mushroom risotto.