2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée Impériale, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils, Rhône
- Red
- Dry
- Full Bodied
For laying down
- Joe Czerwinski
- 94/100
Product: 20158015255
Description
Made from vines that date from 1902, 90 percent of which Stéphane knows to be Grenache and 10 percent he’s a little less sure about, the Impériale is an extremely impressive achievement that is aged for over 18 months before release. The most striking quality of this wine, given that concentration is axiomatic from such a producer in such a year, is the length on the palate, which is simply astonishing. Drink 2022-2030+.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer
Stéphane’s vineyards are equally divided between the galet-strewn parcels around Orange and Courthézon and the sandier, chalkier soils heading south towards the Crau plateau and the village of Bédarrides. The emphasis on traditional winemaking is now embroidered with new ideas, a little new oak and laudable ambition; the ensemble is getting better and better each year, yet still constitutes excellent value. Now seen as every bit as good as his distant cousins at Domaine Pierre Usseglio, Stéphane is embracing biodynamic viticulture in his unceasing efforts to excel.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer
Stéphane’s vineyards are equally divided between the galet-strewn parcels around Orange and Courthézon and the sandier, chalkier soils heading south towards the Crau plateau and the village of Bédarrides. The emphasis on traditional winemaking is now embroidered with new ideas, a little new oak and laudable ambition; the ensemble is getting better and better each year, yet still constitutes excellent value. Now seen as every bit as good as his distant cousins at Domaine Pierre Usseglio, Stéphane is embracing biodynamic viticulture in his unceasing efforts to excel.
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2015
Alcohol % 15
Maturity For laying down
Body Full Bodied
Producer Domaine Raymond Usseglio
Critics reviews
Joe Czerwinski 94/100
The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale is a big, super ripe wine, loaded with plummy, chocolaty fruit. It's almost entirely Grenache from sandy sites, made and aged in concrete. At 16% alcohol by volume, it's full-bodied and the tannins are ripe, creamy and supple, but the alcoholic heat isn't particularly noticeable. Give the bit of green stemminess from some whole-cluster inclusion a year or two in bottle to merge with the rest of the wine and drink it young, before the fruit fades.Joe Czerwinski - 31/10/2017
About this wine
Domaine Raymond Usseglio
This third-generation family domaine, of Italian origin, is today run by Raymond’s son, Stéphane Usseglio. The estate counts 24-hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all of which have been managed biodynamically since 2011. Their vineyards are divided equally between the galet-strewn parcels around Orange, the sandy soils of Courthézon and the alluvial, clay soils of the Crau plateau and the village of Bédarrides. Stéphane continues to innovate, using small, new oak barrels alongside the traditional foudres, as well as experimenting with concrete and terracotta amphorae of varying shapes and sizes. These winemaking techniques enhance the characteristics of each grape variety, carefully highlighting the particularities of each.
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