Père Pape in the Groove Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019

This organically farmed domaine has 43ha of vineyards in Châteauneuf, which they harvest by hand. Fermentation is spontaneous, with no commercial yeast. Père Pape is an homage to Gratien Mayard, the founder and precursor of Vignobles Mayard – and is made with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, from the Grand Coulet lieu-dit. Matt Walls: Good sense of clarity on the nose, no overt make-up. Orange peel, thyme. Big but not massive, sweetly fruited but finishes dry. Very well balanced, classic, will gain complexity. Tanguy Martin: Intense nose, notes of wild berries, fresh meat and a touch of ground pepper. Palate is firm with shy fruits but great tannins and a good long finish. David Round: Reticent nose, some stewed plums and cream. Youthful and fresh, with some edgy tannin. Good concentration but the fruit is a bit shy. Good length … Drinking window: 2024-2038. Score – 96. (Panel, decanter.com, May 20, 2022)