I suspect many of you, like me, are searching for an escape, or at least a change of scenery. During the last 6-7 weeks, that longing and wanderlust has led me to uncork an unprecedented number of high-priced bottles after work each night. There have been numerous exceptional wines that awakened fond memories of my favorite estates and regions, but few have been able to deliver the visceral pleasure and soothing escape like today’s southern Rhône masterclass from icon Lucien Barrot.
This is more than a delicious bottle of wine—it’s a multi-hour virtual reality session into the rugged hillsides, cavernous cellars, and ancient, stony vineyards of Southern France. Its herb-kissed perfume is so vivid, the fruit so darkly luscious, and the finish so endlessly captivating that, without even trying, I passed an entire evening without checking my email or social media feed. It takes a truly special bottle to silence the outside world like that, so I feel obligated to share the experience today. Granted, I’ll be the first to admit that my palate typically favors Burgundian or Piedmontese reds to those of the Southern Rhône, but I can’t stress enough: This is a singular wine that deserves your attention. We don’t have many bottles to share, so you'd be wise to move quickly!
For me, the most important take-home message about today’s wine is the trance-like, tooth-staining, right-brain pleasure it provides. That said, there is no shortage of rational/intellectual explanation why Lucien Barrot is one of the all-time greats in one of the all-time great French appellations, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Barrot’s family has been working the same jigsaw puzzle patchwork of micro-vineyard parcels in this same village for 340 years. This average 50+ year vine age and diversity of aspects, elevations, microclimates, and soils make Domaine Barrot one of the most consistent sources for top-quality wine in the region.
This property also remains one of the few and ever-shrinking number of domaines producing what I would characterize as defiantly traditional, classically styled Châteauneuf-du-Pape. That means fermentation with no de-stemming of fruit, multi-year aging in enormous neutral oak foudres, no heavy-handed filtering or “intervention” in the cellar—and ultimately, especially in a great vintage like 2015, it means an infinitely evolving wine that is as sensuous and fire-breathing in its youth (now through 2022) as it is elegant, truffle-scented, and ethereal in its golden years (2030+).
With some wines, one glance is all it takes. Even before one sniff or taste, you know immediately that it’s going to be a killer. Such was the case with today’s 2015: A tempest of crimson and deep, blood orange tones, this wine just looks delicious, and it is. On the palate, it ups the ante with a chewy mouthful of cherry flesh, mulberries, charred sausage, hillside herbs and the mysterious, hard-to-define but no less profound sense of “depth” that can only come from patient, extended aging and a master’s touch in the cellar. It’s an absolutely momentous wine for the late Spring and Summer dinner table, as well; there’s just something unique about how top-tier southern Rhône reds give a big bear hug to grilled steaks, herb-crusted racks of lamb, or even burgers and spare ribs. But again, despite this wine’s unique ability to instantly gratify today, please do not overlook its enormous cellaring potential. Lucien Barrot is one of Chateauneuf-du-Pape’s most respected producers not only because his wines sing in their youth, but also because they are proven to evolve and seduce for many months and years to come! In the short term, decant this gem about 30 minutes before serving in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees. The attached recipe will complete the experience perfectly. Cheers!
