Transition to organics/biodynamics may be trendy in winemaking today, but it’s nothing new at the Domaine Pierre André in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Jacqueline André’s grandfather stopped using chemicals in his vines in 1963, and the domaine has been certified organic since 1980 – the first in the appellation.
As it turns out, he was onto something — some plots of the André family wines are now over 140 years old, and still producing gorgeous fruit. Pierre’s daughter Jacqueline now tends these ancient vines (she calls them her “grand dammes” or “old ladies”) with the love and attention usually reserved for family members. In his excellent “The New French Wine” published last year, Jon Bonné writes, “Jacqueline André has quietly been upholding the extraordinary quality of her family’s domaine in a manner that legitimately earns the word “artisan.”
Groundhog predictions notwithstanding, there’s clearly a bit of cold weather left this season, and at our house we’re firmly “cozy red” mood – wines with mouthfilling textures, dark inky fruit, and long, layered finishes. So today we’re suggesting Jacqueline André’s magnificent Châteauneuf, the very definition of coziness. The 2020 is lush, round, and beautiful – it has the capacity to cellar much longer, but it’s extraordinarily lovely today.
Come taste it at this Saturday’s CassouletFest at the warehouse in Newton, or pick up some for our own cellar.
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André Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020
bottle price:$65