Château de Nalys Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018

The Guigal name is synonymous with the Northern Rhône, and with Côte-Rôtie in particular. But father and son Marcel and Philippe Guigal have always had an eye on the Southern Rhône, and after a 20-year search, the Guigals purchased Domaine de Nalys in 2017. The renamed 131-acre estate, whose history dates to the 17th century, features three large blocks of vines neighboring Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château Rayas, Château de Vaudieu and Domaine de la Charbonnière. The 2018 vintage is the first under the control of the Guigal family, and Philippe has made some changes. Among them is harvesting by vine age rather than strictly by parcel, using smaller vats to accommodate smaller vinification lots, and extending the élevage to upwards of 20 months. The 2018 is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Counoise and Muscardin.

Tasting Note

A bright savory note leads off this red, followed quickly by sanguine and bay leaf accents, all melding nicely with the core of steeped blackberry, raspberry and plum fruit flavors as they move through the rich, licorice root–tinged finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.—James Molesworth