2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Certified organic and working biodynamically for many years, Sophie Armenier and her son Vincent consistently strive to improve the quality of their wines at Domaine de Marcoux. In 2016, they began partially aging their reds in 3,000-liter Austrian oak barrels to have less obvious oak influence. Grapes are harvested in 50kg crates and are always 100% de-stemmed. During and after fermentation in concrete vats, the reds undergo gentle maceration and pump-overs for approximately four weeks. Regarding the 2021 vintage, Sophie Armenier recalled relatively cool spring temperatures with only a few hot episodes and fairly cool nights during summer. Compared to 2020 and 2019, 2021s resulted in wines with less color, lower alcohol and increased freshness. Due to spring frost in April, Armenier lost around 30% of her usual crops. Despite the lower-than-usual yields, her 2021s display a refined, fragrant profile and possess the potential for extended bottle aging. Looking at 2020 and 2019, Armenier and her son Vincent delivered an even more enticing set of wines. The 2020 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes knocks it out of the park and is one of the wines of the vintage. There are three Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines at Marcoux: the traditional white and red blends and the coveted Grenache-only Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. Essentially these are distinctively elegant, neatly balanced wines with great tension without being overly concentrated. I recently pulled the cork of their traditional red Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the relatively dry 2005 vintage, and it sang beautifully. While I have a weak spot for the Cuvée Vieilles Vignes, the best quality-price-ratio sits with their traditional red.