Double Agent!

Margaux a go go, all sold out before noon. So let’s head south, to the Rhone region and revisit what should be our most popular (and most re-purchased) Châteauneuf-du-Pape of the year. One taste and you’ll understand why.

As Wine Advocate points out, “Domaine Font de Michelle continues to make some of the most perfumed, silky, and alluring Châteauneuf-du-Papes in the appellation… they’re always incredibly drinkable and are often the first bottle drained at a dinner party.”

60% OFF!! WORLD EXCLUSIVE!

With 95 POINTS from Wine Advocate?! You won’t find this bad boy at your local Costco, the corner bodega, or your most connected wine shop. Or anywhere else for that matter.

But you will find it here, today, while it lasts.

The Gonnet family has a long foothold in Southern Rhône. Etienne Gonnet married into the Brunier family, of one of the most famous producers - Vieux Telegraphe. Their 27 hectares of vines cover all the varied terroir in the region - from sandy to stone, clay, and limestone-rich soils. They even have some planted in the famous La Crau plateau where some of the region’s most treasured wines are grown.

This is the real deal. The vintage’s yields were so low due to hail that they were able to make only this Cuvée Reserve. Freshly bottled, drinking like a dream, and waiting for all your Halloween, Thanksgiving, and apres-ski needs. There’s NO wine I’d rather be drinking over the next six months.

Vines as old as 120 years bring a deep fruit character, while the sandy soil they’re grown in imparts a bright freshness. Heady complexity is on display here - laden with minerality, herbs, spice, and packing heaps of fruit. Just incredible stuff!

Composed mostly of Grenache, with a balance of Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The Grenache is raised in concrete and neutral large oak which doesn’t impart much tannin or wood flavors - while the Syrah is raised in small French oak to help bring out more of that deep fruit and opulence. The balance of power and freshness here is extraordinary and strikes a perfect balance between modern and traditional styles.

Harvey Steiman of Wine Spectator shares a spot-on pairing experience: “There are people who want funk from their Southern Rhône reds. Me, I am not so crazy about those animale, extra-earthy, gamy characteristics, not when I can get the full effect of complexity from the grape itself. Which is why I got a big smile on my face when a glass of Domaine Font de Michelle Châteauneuf-du-Pape appeared next to my main course of roast quail with Puy lentils…”

It comes packed with ripe and bright red fruit - strawberry licorice, red whips, and crunchy raspberries. The herbs de Provence and baking spices POP out of the glass and translate straight to your taste buds. Beautifully fresh, generous with all the ripe fruit you can handle, plus rarely found vibrant acidity and savory complexity. What more can you want?? At this price… nothing! When we had a few Operatives visit last Friday THIS was the collectively drained bottle, for reasons you’ll understand once you do too.

There you have it - rockstar CdP exclusive fresh off the boat, priced to move, and waiting for you.

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “Something like 30% to 40% of the production was lost to hail, but the remaining wine looks to be a beauty, with lovely floral shadings to the raspberry and cherry aromas. Full-bodied, rich and opulent, the 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Reserve has hints of strawberries and dried spices on the long, silky finish.”