Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2021 (Magnum 1.5L)

“This has power and poise, with garrigue, plum, licorice and raspberry expertly framed by a lot of mineral energy and graphite shavings. Refined and pure, with integration from start to finish. Some finely cut tannins maintain the focus and form. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Drink now through 2035.”

“Olives, garrigue, thyme, pepper, and red fruits are all over the place here. Medium-bodied, soft, fresh, and supple, with a sweetness to the red fruits on the palate, and in the finish, this will be a pleasure to enjoy on release. Drink from 2024-2031.”

“Bottled in April, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape is mostly Grenache that was all destemmed and was raised in foudre, tronconique, and concrete tanks. It has a pretty, medium-bodied, elegant style as well as both red and black fruit, peppery herbs, and violet notes. Showing the fresher, more mid-weight style of the vintage, it's balanced, has fine tannins, and outstanding length. It has a more expansive, seamless, pleasure-bent style than most and is one of the top base cuvées in the vintage. Bravo.”

“The red-fruited 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is showing well. Ripe strawberry, dried herbs and verbena tea with a pinch of licorice are all nicely delineated. More medium- than full-bodied, the elegant 2021 carries spot-on balance and concludes with a refreshing finale. Give it two more years in bottle to gain more complexity.”

“Here is a good introduction to the wines of this appellation with a satisfying balance of full body, restrained tannins, generous red fruit and lively acidity. Quite a dry finish, but no hint of aggression. A cuvee of 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre, 7% syrah and 3% cinsault. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”