Chateau Mont Redon Chateauneuf-du-Pape Le Plateau de Mont Redon 2016

Made in small volumes only in the best years, this comes from plots chosen on the high plateau of galets roules. This wine is made from the very first parcels of vines planted when the family purchased Mont-Redon back in 1923, from a superb plot of very stony soils planted solely to syrah and grenache when the estate was first starting its journey of recovery back from the devastation of phylloxera.
’Starting with the 2016 vintage, there is a special cuvée called le Plateau (de Mont Redon), which comes exclusively from the galets. It sees more oak and a higher proportion of new oak, but because of the concentration in the 2016 and 2017 vintages, it's not especially noticeable. The wine is a step above the large-production cuvée tradition in quality, but it's yet to be released. It's in keeping with the wine-making philosophy espoused by Pierre Fabre, who told me, "Color for me isn't quality-linked, it's style-linked. Most important is complexity and length." These aren't big, extracted wines but wines that feel comfortable and balanced.’ Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate, August 2019.

‘A finished blend but still in tank at the time of my visit (this new cuvée spends 18 months in oak and then 18 months in tank prior to bottling), the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape le Plateau comes from selected parcels of galets roulés on the plateau of Mont Redon. The blend is 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, and the result is a top-notch effort, boasting explosive aromas of cherries, cocoa and baking spices. Full-bodied, silky, rich and long, it's buttressed by the structural elements of the oak, without being swamped by wood at all. Drink 2020-2035.’ (93-95) points, Joe Czerwinski, The Wine Advocate, August 2019.