Font du Loup 2023 Le Puy Rolland Veilles Vignes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, So. Rhone Valley

$74.99 bottle / $419.94($69.99) six-pack

We rarely get excited about Chateauneuf-du-Pape rouge. I mean, they can be impressive for their corpulence and all, but without balance and energy, we’re just not personally interested. After tasting Font du Loup’s 2023 Le Puy Rolland, we’re interested!  Previously, the only C-D-P rouges we’ve really been enamored with are Chateau Rayas, Clos des Papas and Vieux Telegraphe. The 2023 Le Puy Rolland immediately took me back to several vintages of Chateau Rayas that, through the generosity of others, I’ve enjoyed like no other Chateauneuf-du-Papes.  We’re not interested in hunting down “unicorn wines” like Rayas and paying $1000-$2500 per bottle so we’re pretty happy with the Puy Rolland at less than $80. Anne-Charlotte Mélia Bachas' vineyards stretch across the lieux-dits of Font du Loup and La Crau (made famous for the vines of Vieux Telegraphe and Henri Bonneau) in the village of Courthézon. Her Le Puy Rolland is 100% Grenache planted in 1905 on pure sand over limestone and then aged in large old foudre. There is a sense of finesse, purity and balance that is exceptionally hard to find in a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, allied with a floral component that makes this wine captivating.  The nose is captivating, the palate flavor profile is captivating and the silken texture is captivating.  Very, very, very limited.