Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020

The 2020 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape is another ripe, lush, full-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Elie Jeune whose old vines average 70 years of age. A blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, the 2020 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape exudes savory scents of ripe red and black cherries, kirsch, and a lovely bouquet of Provencal herbs. In the mouth, this lusty red reveals rich fruit, sanguine minerality, and deep complexity, where cherry and berry flavors mingle with hints of rooibos tea, exotic spices, fennel, and wild rosemary. Ripe tannins and racy minerality provide structure and length. Although powerful and full-bodied on account of this domain’s acumen and the largesse of the 2020 vintage, the 2020 Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape exhibits a brightness and suavity that allows it to drink well even in its youth. For optimal enjoyment, we suggest serving the 2020 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape at cool room temperature (58°-60º F) after 20-30 minutes of aeration. Anticipated maturity: 2024-2035. Enjoy!

Lamb and beef are the traditional accompaniments to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and both provide excellent counterparts to Domaine du Grand Tinel’s lush, mouth-filling 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. However, if ever there were just a single wine for all seasons and every occasion, Grand Tinel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape certainly deserves to be at the top of that list. The finest cuts of red meat certainly make great partners to Jeune’s classic 2020 red Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Braised lamb shanks, beef tenderloin, game birds, and rotisserie roasted chicken basted with plenty of butter, olive oil and Provencal herbs all provide delicious accompaniments. Beef tenderloin, cooked medium-rare and served with thickly sliced portabella mushrooms in a red wine, shallot, and Herbes de Provence reduction really makes our mouths water. A traditional Provencal cassoulet provides another tried and true companion. Meatloaf with caramelized onions in a mushroom brandy cream sauce makes another excellent pairing. Old-fashioned lentil or split pea soup, served with crusty French bread and a spoonful of shaved hard cheese also makes for a splendid mid-week banquet in the company of the 2020 Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Ravioli stuffed with cheese, wild mushrooms and savory herbs pairs beautifully with this wine, too. And, a salad of roasted red peppers, sautéed portabella mushrooms, roasted eggplant, tomato, caramelized onions, and a healthy crumbling of chèvre served over a bed of complex greens with a side of freshly baked focaccia topped with a dollop of pesto mayonnaise or olive tapenade also complements the lusty 2020 Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Moreover, almost any dish with black olives, beans, sausages, and tomatoes will make a fine companion to the 2020 Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Bon appétit!

Domaine du Grand Tinel is one of the largest estates in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, though it remains a very hands-on boutique operation by virtue of its small production and the fact that it remains a family-run winery. The very capable and talented owner Elie Jeune is both proprietor and winemaker.

Nearly all of Grand Tinel’s 136 acres are devoted to the production of the estate’s very highly acclaimed red Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As is the case with the vast majority of Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers, Grand Tinel’s red wine is fashioned primarily from old vine Grenache with the balance of the cépage shared among Syrah, Mourvèdre, and small bunches of Cinsault and Counoise depending upon the vintage. By nearly all accounts, the wines of Domaine du Grand Tinel remain some of the most traditional in style of all Châteauneuf-du-Papes. The house style underscores the full rich fruit of the appellation as well as the power inherent in old vines of Grenache and the finest red Châteauneuf-du-Papes. Nonetheless, Elie Jeune’s wines are quite approachable when young, but also afford additional drinking pleasure for a dozen years or more in vintages such as 2020.

In recent years, Elie Jeune has taken to fashioning two red Châteauneuf-du-Pape selections: an excellent estate bottled offering that is consistently one of the finest in the appellation (the Domaine du Grand Tinel Châteauneuf-du-Pape – this month’s feature) and Cuvée Alexis Establet, the domaine’s tête de cuvée from 100-year old vines. In addition, Domaine du Grand Tinel turns out a tiny quantity of aromatic white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Grenache Blanc, Clairette, and Bourboulenc, which consistently ranks among the best this venerable appellation has to offer.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the Southern Rhône Valley’s most important appellation. Located in Provence, astride the swiftly moving Rhône River, this sun-drenched locale is blessed with a dry Mediterranean climate that is nearly ideal for the cultivation of vines and the production of red wine. Châteauneuf-du-Pape also possesses some of the oldest vines in France, with the average age being in excess of 40 years, by far the oldest of any major appellation in France. In addition, the entire production of this great wine is hand harvested. Moreover, we have not yet mentioned the region’s fabulous terroir – large flat stones known as galets roulés that are mingled with plenty of decomposed gravel – the remnants of Alpine glaciers that once covered southern France. Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s glacial till provides excellent drainage and imparts subtle nuances of flavor to the appellation’s outstanding wines. Châteauneuf-du-Pape also lays claim to garnering France’s first Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) status in 1936 for its high standards and ongoing effort to establish France’s AOC system.