Chateau de Nalys Chateauneuf du Pape 2019

Drink it now or cellar for up to 25 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Chateau de Nalys is one of the oldest and most iconic estates in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in the Rhone Valley. Its origins date back to the 17th century when it was owned by the Nalys family. The estate, acquired by Domaine Guigal in 2017, now has around 52 hectares of vineyards in organic conversion. The wine is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise, and Vaccarèse from vines planted on red sandstone and pebble soils. After manual harvesting and fermentation in wooden truncated cone-shaped vats, the finished wine rests for 18 months in a mix of barrels, demi-muids, and foudres and for the following 6 months in concrete vats. The result is a complex and expressive wine that well represents this prestigious French appellation. In the glass, the wine reveals a broad aromatic profile with notes of wild berries and dark fruits, hints of leather, licorice, and anise. On the palate, it is full, generous, rich, and deep with firm but well-integrated tannins and a long finish that recalls notes of licorice. It is a characterful, powerful, and elegant wine that can age well for a couple of decades but is already enjoyable now. Try it with a game stew.