Pierre Usseglio is an old favorite in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and we have a fantastic back vintage today at original release pricing, drinking great now. Domaine Pierre Usseglio is one of the appellation’s great addresses, a client favorite founded by Francis Usseglio in 1948 with the first harvest in 1949. His son, Pierre, expanded the domaine to about 40 hectares across 17 parcels, with many vines over 65 years old. Farming is sustainable with low yields, with fruit hand-harvested, carefully sorted, and mostly destemmed. The cellar work is minimalist, with gentle extraction, and fermentation and aging occur mainly in concrete, with a supporting role for older barrels to preserve purity while adding complexity. One reason this is so good is that the 2015 blend is largely Grenache, with 10% Syrah and 5% each of Mourvèdre and Cinsault, delivering a ripe yet balanced profile of black raspberry and kirsch, garrigue, olive, and a touch of smoked meat with good refinement. The regular Châteauneuf-du-Pape has long been the best buy here, featuring vines over 75 years old, and is not to miss at this original release pricing!
James Suckling 93 points! "Some dark berries amid brambly red fruits, poached figs, wild grasses and herbs. The palate folds out a ripe and sweepingly rich expression of mostly raspberry and red plum flavored fruits. A long majestic finish. Drink now."
Wine Advocate 92 points! "The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault, half aged in oak, half aged in concrete. Like all of Thierry Usseglio's wines, this is massively ripe, with plummy, spicy notes underscored by a creamy mouthfeel and richly tannic finish."
Jeb Dunnuck 92 points! "Moving to the 2015s, this is a solid vintage for this estate and the wines have more fruit and depth than most. A blend of mostly Grenache that was brought up in tank (10% was in older barrels), the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a ripe, full-bodied, impressively concentrated style to go with lively, fresh notes of dried flowers, exotic spice, incense and both red and black raspberry-like fruit. It’s a winner in the vintage and will keep for a decade. This estate hasn’t missed a beat in the past decade (or more) and their 2015s and 2016s both check-in near the top of the pyramid. It’s worth noting that this estate has started including slightly more stems than in the past while pulling back on the new barrels. Nevertheless, this is one estate who’s wines handle their oak elevage beautifully. They’ve also created a new white special cuvee based on Grenache Blanc and Clairette, and it’s a terrific wine worth seeking out (although I don’t know the price point)."
2015 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape
2015 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Pierre Usseglio is an old favorite in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and we have a fantastic back vintage today at original release pricing, drinking great now. Domaine Pierre Usseglio is one of the appellation’s great addresses, a client favorite founded by Francis Usseglio in 1948 with the first harvest in 1949. His son, Pierre, expanded the domaine to about 40 hectares across 17 parcels, with many vines over 65 years old. Farming is sustainable with low yields, with fruit hand-harvested, carefully sorted, and mostly destemmed. The cellar work is minimalist, with gentle extraction, and fermentation and aging occur mainly in concrete, with a supporting role for older barrels to preserve purity while adding complexity. One reason this is so good is that the 2015 blend is largely Grenache, with 10% Syrah and 5% each of Mourvèdre and Cinsault, delivering a ripe yet balanced profile of black raspberry and kirsch, garrigue, olive, and a touch of smoked meat with good refinement. The regular Châteauneuf-du-Pape has long been the best buy here, featuring vines over 75 years old, and is not to miss at this original release pricing!
James Suckling 93 points! "Some dark berries amid brambly red fruits, poached figs, wild grasses and herbs. The palate folds out a ripe and sweepingly rich expression of mostly raspberry and red plum flavored fruits. A long majestic finish. Drink now."
Wine Advocate 92 points! "The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 75% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault, half aged in oak, half aged in concrete. Like all of Thierry Usseglio's wines, this is massively ripe, with plummy, spicy notes underscored by a creamy mouthfeel and richly tannic finish."
Jeb Dunnuck 92 points! "Moving to the 2015s, this is a solid vintage for this estate and the wines have more fruit and depth than most. A blend of mostly Grenache that was brought up in tank (10% was in older barrels), the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a ripe, full-bodied, impressively concentrated style to go with lively, fresh notes of dried flowers, exotic spice, incense and both red and black raspberry-like fruit. It’s a winner in the vintage and will keep for a decade. This estate hasn’t missed a beat in the past decade (or more) and their 2015s and 2016s both check-in near the top of the pyramid. It’s worth noting that this estate has started including slightly more stems than in the past while pulling back on the new barrels. Nevertheless, this is one estate who’s wines handle their oak elevage beautifully. They’ve also created a new white special cuvee based on Grenache Blanc and Clairette, and it’s a terrific wine worth seeking out (although I don’t know the price point)."
