Christophe Mestre and his wife are from old Châteauneuf du Pape families. Like many such families, their vines are in plots scattered across the town’s remarkably diverse terroir. Their parcels cover all three of Châteauneuf’s famous terroirs: the famous galets roulés (see photo), sand, and clay-limestone. Mestre makes a single red cuvée from these terroirs, seeking an expression of the appellation as a whole. It’s always delicious, and always well priced.
Christophe has just been joined by his son Remi, who (along with quite a few other Gen Z winemakers) brings an interest in whole cluster fermentation and single-varietal experimentation. We always enjoy watching the generations work together at our producers, as new ideas mix with long experience.
Whoever has the reins chez Mestre these days, one thing is for sure – the wine continues to be excellent.
Mestre’s 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is not a complicated wine, and probably not one for the back of the cellar. But today, and for the next few years, it should offer pure, unbridled hedonistic delight. It’s a blend of 50% grenache, 25% mourvèdre, 20% syrah, and 5% cinsault. The nose explodes with ripe strawberry fruit and a pleasant cool earthiness.
Despite a blistering hot year, Christophe managed to build tannins behind the fruit beautifully, and this wine is well defined and not the least bit flabby. The mouth is rich and ripe, with remarkable intensity and length for its price. The Wine Advocate awarded 92 points, finding it “full-bodied and supple, with a long, harmonious finish.” With cold weather here to stay for a few months, this is as useful as a warm cashmere scarf.
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Mestre Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2019
bottle price: $35
