2023 Chateau Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape 750ml bottle

60 % Grenache Noir, 30 % Syrah, 8 % Mourvèdre & 2 % Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin & Vaccarèse. Hand harvested and 100 % destemmed before fermentation over 15 to 20 days, with extraction via plunging the cap as required. Following the malolactic, a rigorous selection is performed and batches that do not meet the Estate’s quality criteria are sold in bulk. The selected batches are matured for 12 months in approximately 50 % barrels and 50 % stainless steel tanks. At this point another selection is made and any lesser batches are again sold in bulk. The final blend is then assembled in tank and matured for a further 6 months before bottling, then a further 4 to 6 months in bottle before it is available for shipping.
Brimming with youthful Amarena cherry fruit, this has excellent concentration but also a compact tannic core. Really needs some time to open up. Very long and intense finish with stacks of licorice. 96-97 points, James Suckling, April 2025.