Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or, “new castle of the Pope” takes its name from a period in the fourteenth century when the Pope relocated his court to Avignon. In this blessed locale, the weather turns sunny, the air is infused with herbs and lavender and the climate is comparatively Mediterranean. The particularly arid landscape is dotted with large, round river rocks, or galets roulés; a product of prehistoric Alpine glaciers, they function to retain moisture while providing drainage, ripen the grapes and further insulate the vines from the heat of summer and the cold winds of the mistral in winter as well as ripen the grapes. The mistral, a strong wind that howls down the valley from Siberia, seasonally cools down the land and retains acidity as well as protects the grapes from humidity and mold. All of these factors coalesce to deliver a wine that is terroir-driven, packed with luscious fruit and balanced with acidity if not picked too late. To top it off, this particular wine, “Le Puy Rolland,” hails from a 10-acre parcel in eastern La Crau, which is widely considered one of the most treasured cru of all Châteauneuf-du-Pape and shares real estate with the famous Vieux Telegraph and Château Rayas.
La Font du Loup, translates to, “the fountain of the wolf,” and is rooted in legend. The wolves of Mont Ventoux used to stop at the estate’s spring on their journey to the plains of Provence. A statue of a wolf still graces the property along the spring. In 1942 the Melia family purchased this grand estate and its rose-colored castle and has been crafting incredibly traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines there ever since. Today, the founder’s granddaughter, Anne-Charlotte and her husband, Laurent, run the estate. They practice organic viticulture including composting with sheep manure and grape pomace, allowing growth between the vines to boost biodynamics of the soil and halt erosion and utilizing supervised control with regard to pests and disease. The wine is vinified with climate control, entirely destemmed and is aged in neutral foudres without the overpowering use of new oak. The result is a wine that represents everything we seek in a world class bottle of Grenache, richness and ripeness balanced by freshness and layers of complexity.
This 2013 Château La Font du Loup, Le Puy Rolland exhibits a near-opaque, concentrated dark ruby core with pink and purple reflections on the rim. The generous nose catapults from the glass with beautifully balanced aromatics of fresh pureed wild raspberries, brandied black cherries, fresh blackcurrant liqueur and wild strawberries embroidered with fresh vibrant wild flowers, herbes de Provence, wet rocks and a touch of spice. The lush, full-bodied palate, mirrors the nose with additional layers of red cherry, a touch of blueberry, white pepper and crushed stone. This wine should not be served above cellar temperature as the aromatics are divine but can be overshadowed by alcohol if served too warm. Although this Puy Rolland is an absolute showstopper right this minute, it will continue to drop layers of fruit in favor of stunning and nuanced savory aromas over the next ten years. This is a wine that you will inevitably wish you had more than you purchased in your cellar as it will inevitably become a treasured holding. So buy several now. Drink one and enjoy them slowly over time. Although this wine can pair with a vast array of food,
this Catalan braised pork shoulder with dried fruit will prove to be a guaranteed standout.
