Chateau Mont-Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Plateau 2016

Made in small volumes only in the best years, this comes from plots chosen on the high plateau of galets roules. This wine is made from the very first parcels of vines planted when the family purchased Mont-Redon back in 1923, from a superb plot of very stony soils planted solely to syrah and grenache when the estate was first starting its journey of recovery back from the devastation of phylloxera.

’Starting with the 2016 vintage, there is a special cuvée called le Plateau (de Mont Redon), which comes exclusively from the galets. It sees more oak and a higher proportion of new oak, but because of the concentration in the 2016 and 2017 vintages, it's not especially noticeable. The wine is a step above the large-production cuvée tradition in quality, but it's yet to be released. It's in keeping with the wine-making philosophy espoused by Pierre Fabre, who told me, "Color for me isn't quality-linked, it's style-linked. Most important is complexity and length." These aren't big, extracted wines but wines that feel comfortable and balanced.’ Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate, August 2019.

“This is a very deep and charming wine with an entire microcosm of spice on the powerful yet refined palate. Staggering concentration without being in the least domineering. Very long, polished finish with so many subtle meaty and savory nuances. Drink or hold.” 97 points, James Suckling, February 2022.

“Deep garnet. Highly perfumed aromas of raspberry and cherry preserves, candied flowers, mocha and incense are enlivened by a smoky mineral flourish. Alluringly sweet and incisive, offering vibrant, densely packed red fruit preserve, cherry cola, candied lavender and spicecake flavors that deepen steadily with aeration. Shows superb detail and minerally thrust on a strikingly long, seamless finish that features polished tannins and lingering five-spice powder and floral notes. This is the first vintage for this bottling – there's not much of it – and the fruit was drawn from the estate's oldest vines, which were planted in 1923.”  97 points, Josh Raynolds, Vinous, October 2021.