For many of us, Châteuaneuf-du-Pape is the go-to wine at Christmas. But is it really worth the price?
If there's one wine that's guaranteed to put a smile on the face of your nearest and dearest on Christmas Day, it's a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Practically everyone's heard of it, it looks the part and its high alcohol and warm, ripe fruit make it the perfect match for turkey.
The problem is – as always with wine – there's Châteauneuf and there's Châteauneuf. Supermarkets realise its pulling power and offer dramatic discounts, but are their deals any good?
Well, it depends whether you're more concerned about what it looks like or what's in the bottle. Frankly, a lot of cheaper Châteauneufs are not much better than the "village" côtes du Rhône wines that surround the region, but you're typically paying twice as much for them. If you want to save yourself a few pounds and don't want to flash the C-word, buy a vacqueyras, gigondas or cairanne or – better still – a lirac, which is bang next door to the Châteauneuf appellation. Rhône specialist Yapp has a terrific one from Domaine Maby, *La Fermade 2011* (14.5% abv), for £12.25; this is a classic southern Rhône blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre that is just as intense as most supermarket Châteauneufs.
If you're dead set on the real thing, however, look out for the 2010 vintage (a particularly good one) and be prepared to pay at least £15 a bottle. Cheaper ones I've liked at recent tastings are Marks & Spencer's generous sweet, fruity *Légat du Pape 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape* (£16.99; 14% abv) and the younger, but suitably weighty *Domaine Lou Frejau Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012* (£14.99; 14% abv) that Aldi has brought in for Christmas.
If you're looking to cellar your Châteauneuf, expect to pay even more. Yapp, again, has a stunner, the opulent, heady *Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009* (14% abv), which is delicious now, but will be even better in a few years' time, provided you can afford to buy or share a case. (No, £31 a bottle isn't cheap, but, by way of comparison, the 1999 currently fetches £59.)
Incidentally, a few Châteauneuf myths are debunked in the recent new edition of Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson's The World Atlas Of Wine (£40, Mitchell Beazley). The appellation now permits 18 grape varieties to be included, not 13, and the soil is far more varied than the famous galets – large, flat stones that are held to reflect the heat back into the vines – as a fascinating map of the different terroirs shows. Now that would be a perfect present for any wine – or Châteauneuf – geek.
matchingfoodandwine.com Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 hours ago.
If there's one wine that's guaranteed to put a smile on the face of your nearest and dearest on Christmas Day, it's a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Practically everyone's heard of it, it looks the part and its high alcohol and warm, ripe fruit make it the perfect match for turkey.
The problem is – as always with wine – there's Châteauneuf and there's Châteauneuf. Supermarkets realise its pulling power and offer dramatic discounts, but are their deals any good?
Well, it depends whether you're more concerned about what it looks like or what's in the bottle. Frankly, a lot of cheaper Châteauneufs are not much better than the "village" côtes du Rhône wines that surround the region, but you're typically paying twice as much for them. If you want to save yourself a few pounds and don't want to flash the C-word, buy a vacqueyras, gigondas or cairanne or – better still – a lirac, which is bang next door to the Châteauneuf appellation. Rhône specialist Yapp has a terrific one from Domaine Maby, *La Fermade 2011* (14.5% abv), for £12.25; this is a classic southern Rhône blend of grenache, syrah and mourvèdre that is just as intense as most supermarket Châteauneufs.
If you're dead set on the real thing, however, look out for the 2010 vintage (a particularly good one) and be prepared to pay at least £15 a bottle. Cheaper ones I've liked at recent tastings are Marks & Spencer's generous sweet, fruity *Légat du Pape 2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape* (£16.99; 14% abv) and the younger, but suitably weighty *Domaine Lou Frejau Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012* (£14.99; 14% abv) that Aldi has brought in for Christmas.
If you're looking to cellar your Châteauneuf, expect to pay even more. Yapp, again, has a stunner, the opulent, heady *Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2009* (14% abv), which is delicious now, but will be even better in a few years' time, provided you can afford to buy or share a case. (No, £31 a bottle isn't cheap, but, by way of comparison, the 1999 currently fetches £59.)
Incidentally, a few Châteauneuf myths are debunked in the recent new edition of Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson's The World Atlas Of Wine (£40, Mitchell Beazley). The appellation now permits 18 grape varieties to be included, not 13, and the soil is far more varied than the famous galets – large, flat stones that are held to reflect the heat back into the vines – as a fascinating map of the different terroirs shows. Now that would be a perfect present for any wine – or Châteauneuf – geek.
matchingfoodandwine.com Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 hours ago.