Calling the Châteauneuf cognoscenti!

Who says we can’t have cake AND eat it too?

95 points!! A freefall from $100 to $45!! Don’t question it, just get it while it’s here and enjoy all its “full-bodied, rich, and concentrated” power when it lands on your doorstep.

According to the records, the Gonnet clan has been making wine in these parts for over 500 years. A big family, they have only a few members who don’t! These brothers have access to some of the top-secret vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and for this bad boy, they hit the well-hidden Les Combes sector up. It’s in the heart of the legendary ‘La Crau’ plateau where classicists like Vieux Telegraphe and modernists like Clos-Saint-Jean source for similarly spectacular terroir-driven wines with huge followings.

An intense expression of red berries with autumnal dried leaves, exotic spices, and a hint of licorice are all abundant on the generous nose. Fresh with terrific energy and depth, the palate is hijacked by mostly blue fruits and layered plum flavors. Elegant and powerful with extremely fine tannins that run long on a plush and refreshing finish with a kick of mineral endurance. Stupendous now, with serious upside of longevity in the cellar, we’re stashing some away for the next fresh black truffle season.

Oh, and if you’re new to French wine, Lieu Dit here means, according to the Oxford Companion to Wine “the local, traditional name of a small area of land, usually defined by topography or history.” So, they want it known that the parcels in this come from specifically awesome plots of old vines that make some of the best Châteauneuf-du-Pape out there. Hence the $100 release price!

With 55% off, it’s simply a matter of time before we’re out.

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“Bertrand Gonnet’s 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Lieu Dit Les Combes showcases briary, herbal notes backed by black cherries, blackberries, and blueberries. Full-bodied, rich, and concentrated, this blend of roughly 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah and 10% Cinsault, Mourvèdre and Muscardin is also ripe and velvety on the palate, with a long, plush finish. It’s a terrific effort from this recently refurbished property. Drink 2022-2040.”