{"product_id":"domaine-charvin-chateauneuf-du-pape-2023","title":"Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery photograph of Châteauneuf-du-Pape shows the galets roulés, the big smooth river stones that hold the day's heat and push the wines toward power. Charvin's vineyards have essentially none of them. Laurent Charvin's eight hectares sit in the far northwestern corner of the appellation, out toward Orange, on sandy, north-facing ground. That is the coolest exposure in one of the warmest appellations in France, and sand behaves nothing like galets: it drains hard, holds no heat, and yields wines built on perfume and lift rather than density. The holdings run through the lieux-dits of Cabrières, L'Arnesque, and Le Devès, with vines averaging around 60 years old. This is the address that explains why Charvin tastes the way it does.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e82% Grenache with 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Syrah, 4% Counoise, and 4% Vaccarèse. Counoise and Vaccarèse are nearly extinct in the appellation and both are doing real work here, contributing acidity and a peppery, savory edge that keeps the Grenache from dominating. Fermented 100% whole bunch, then raised entirely in concrete for 18 to 21 months, fined, and bottled unfiltered. No barrel touches this wine at any stage, which is the second half of the house argument: concrete adds nothing, so what is in the glass is fruit, stems, and sand. Cassis, mulberry, dried lavender, menthol, black pepper, and garrigue, medium to full-bodied with velvety tannin and a long savory close. 2023 was a hot year in the southern Rhône, and the north-facing sandy sites are exactly what keeps this bottle fresh in a vintage like that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Charvin family has been at this since 1851. Laurent Charvin, the sixth generation, took over in the early 1990s and immediately made three decisions that defined the estate: he converted all 28 hectares to organic farming, stopped destemming entirely, and got rid of the barrels in favor of concrete. None of those were fashionable choices at the time, and Châteauneuf in that era was moving hard in the opposite direction toward extraction and new oak. He has not changed course since, and the estate is now one of the reference points for what traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape actually means.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrenache with this much herb and pepper wants slow-cooked, herb-heavy food. Daube de boeuf with olives and orange peel is the regional answer and the right one. Also strong: roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic, braised oxtail with root vegetables, or grilled portobellos with thyme and aged goat cheese. The velvety tannin will not fight anything and the garrigue character in the wine meets rosemary, thyme, and juniper directly. Decant an hour, or lay it down; this will improve for a decade or more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doug Krenik Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51190117761247,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8110094.jpg?v=1786498014","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/domaine-charvin-chateauneuf-du-pape-2023","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}