As wine lovers around the world gear up to celebrate Grenache Day today (Sep 20), it’s a perfect opportunity to raise a glass to this delightful grape. While Grenache can shine on its own, it plays a pivotal role in creating exquisite blends in Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CNDP), resulting in wines that are rich, complex, and utterly captivating.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Southern Rhone is a stunning appellation characterized by its rolling hills and rocky terraces. The famous galets, those large, smooth pebbles, play a crucial role in the terroir. They absorb sunlight during the day and release heat at night, helping the grapes achieve peak ripeness. With thirteen permitted grape varieties, Grenache takes the lead, often accompanied by Syrah and Mourvèdre. This combination creates wines bursting with vibrant flavors of ripe fruit, spice, and earthiness, many of which can age beautifully for a decade or more.

Among the stars of this region is Domaine Jean Royer, a name that embodies elegance and charm—and an artisan producer we proudly work with! The Royer family has been making wine since the 1800s, and Jean-Marie Royer has been at the helm since 1986. He is dedicated to reclaiming family vineyards and crafting wines that truly reflect their unique terroir. Today, he had expanded their holdings to around 30 acres, including prestigious areas like Bois de la Ville and La Crau.

Jean-Marie's winemaking philosophy emphasizes elegance and finesse over opulence. Collaborating closely with renowned oenologist Philippe Cambié, he adopts a meticulous approach to fermentation, keeping different parcels separate to highlight their unique characteristics. This careful method results in wines that burst with refreshing balance and vibrant fruit flavors, often drawing comparisons to Burgundy. Critics like Jeb Dunnuck praise their elegance, noting, “These wines always lean towards the more elegant, finesse-driven end of the spectrum.” Similarly, Josh Raynolds encourages wine lovers to explore Royer’s offerings, highlighting their “superb bang for the buck” and delightful resemblance to high-quality Burgundy.

Take the Tradition cuvée, for example. This delightful blend typically features 75% Grenache, with a dash of Syrah, Mourvèdre, and sometimes Cinsault. Aged in a mix of used French oak barrels and demi-muids, it results in a wine that’s both approachable and full of character. The Prestige cuvée showcases old vine Grenache from vines over 80 years old, offering richness and complexity with a touch of Mourvèdre for added depth. The Les Sables de Crau, produced from 100% old vine Grenache sourced from sandy soils in the La Crau vineyard, is aged in used demi-muids for 12 months, resulting in a nuanced and elegant profile. Finally, the Triplice cuvée features expressive cherry and raspberry aromas, with sweet red fruit flavors and velvety tannins, capturing the essence of its vintage.

Cheers to Grenache and the joy it brings to our glasses!

SPECIAL OFFER:
ENJOY 15% OFF DISCOUNT ON ALL wines by Domaine Jean Royer

Promotion period: until Oct 4, 2024

1/ Domaine Jean Royer Chateauneuf-du-Pape Tradition 2020 - Bt
(15% Off) HK$365 ▷ HK$310

It features a refined expression centered on Grenache, showcasing elegance and depth. Its bouquet reveals black cherries, pepper, and earthy nuances, while the medium-bodied palate offers flavors of mulberry and strawberry, with hints of garrigue and flowers. With ripe, well-integrated tannins, this wine delivers exceptional purity and a satisfying finish.

2/ Domaine Jean Royer Chateauneuf-du-Pape Prestige 2017 - Bt | VNS95-96
(15% Off) HK$480 ▷ HK$408

Bright-hued ruby. Mineral-accented raspberry, cherry liqueur and garrigue aromas are complicated by subtle game and incense nuances. Silky, focused and alluringly sweet, offering pliant red and blue fruit preserve, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that in no way show that this wine is wine is from warm year. Finishes sappy, sweet and extremely long, with suave, well-knit tannins and resonating floral and spice notes.

-95-96, Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com, December 2019

3/ Domaine Jean Royer Chateauneuf-du-Pape Les Sables de la Crau 2018 - Bt | VNS95
(15% Off) HK$720 ▷ HK$612

Glistening ruby. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes spice-accented red berry, cherry and floral qualities, along with an exotic touch of sandalwood. Stains the palate with sappy raspberry, cherry, candied lavender and fruitcake flavors that pick up a smoky mineral quality as the wine opens up. The impressively long, focused finish features resonating floral and spice notes and velvety tannins that make a late appearance.

-95, Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com, October 2021

4/ Domaine Jean Royer Chateauneuf-du-Pape Triplice 2016 - Bt | VNS94
(15% Off) HK$900 ▷ HK$765

Deep brilliant red. Expressive cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by suave floral and baking spice nuances. Sappy, seamless and broad in the mouth, offering appealingly sweet red and dark berry preserve flavors that become deeper as the wine open up. Shows repeating red fruit character on the impressively persistent, floral-dominated finish, which is framed by velvety, harmonious tannins.

-94, Josh Raynolds, Vinous.com, December 2019

Promotion period: until Oct 4, 2024

In stock now, and offered subject to final confirmation and remaining unsold. E. & O. E.

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