A revisit of something never visited?
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Domaine du Banneret, a small winery of 5 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is a well-kept secret that is gaining more attention. With its average vine age of over 60 years and traditional methods of production, this wine offers excellent value for its expertly made quality.
The winery has roots dating back to 1405 and is still owned by a Bertet descendant, Jean-Claude Vidal. Vidal was an architect but decided to purchase the property in 1989 to keep it within the family. He learned wine making from renowned winemakers Jacques Reynaud and Henri Bonneau, and later passed on his knowledge to his daughter Audrey, who now oversees the winery’s 700-900 case production.
This Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge is a blend of 13 grape varieties, including Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Muscardin, and more. The grapes are hand-harvested and fermented without destemming. The wine is filtered naturally through decantation without added yeasts and ages for 24 months in oak barrels.
From the Domaines Website:
Each vintage is aged according to ancestral methods. After having been harvested by hand, the harvest is crushed without destemming for a long vatting period.
Slow fermentation takes place naturally thanks to the sole action of indigenous yeasts – those present on the skin of the grapes. No addition of yeast is therefore necessary. Slow maceration gives the wine its purple colors, its power and its aromas.
A 30 HL thunderbolt and a few demi-muids complete the aging of our wines. The selection of our woods is extremely rigorous in order to respect the profile and the personality of each vintage. We accompany the wine for 24 months with a lot of attention so that at the end of its aging it finally reveals itself to you in all its authenticity.
At the end of two years of aging in old barrels, clarified by natural decanting and regular sub-drawing, the wine preserves all its original elements and tannins, the benefits of which we recognize.
A single bottling is done after a very light filtration. All of our wine is assembled in a single batch for perfect vintage consistency. Once in an emblazoned bottle, protected by a long pure cork stopper, this wine for aging will continue to age: over the years it will take on a “tiled” color and a typical bouquet.
The bottles are then stacked. Handled with care, they are not sealed and labeled by hand until they are sold. As a result, we can re-check the quality of the caps and bottles before making them available.
Tasted 05/26/21
Medium red with a slight hint of blue/purple
Enthralling aromas of red fruit with touches of plum and blackberry violets hints crushed rock, garrique, black and green pepper corns, and English breakfast tea. The perfume of this wine is so nice I could have been very happy just smelling it.
Flavors of wild berries, cherry, black pepper, flowers and licorice, and black tea with a hint of brooding smokiness framed by a taught and precise structure. Delicious and better than you can imagine with the upcoming grilling season but with the structure to hold for some time but still quite young. Drink now to 2035
Pair with any grilled meats including game, great with a wide variety of cheeses Lamb is a favorite pairing for me. Duck also quite good with this wine.