2019 Guigal Château de Nalys Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Grand Vin

E. Guigal has been releasing Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines since the French estate was founded in 1946. The culmination of decades of searching and planning, Guigal finally acquired his own estate in the famous appellation, Château de Nalys, in 2016. The 2017 whites are the first wines the new team has been able to make from start to finish, while the 2016 reds are

The first releases from Château de Nalys debuted at the end of 2018. “We have been looking for a quality estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape for about 20 years,” says Philippe Guigal, the third-generation winemaker of the family business. With our years of Châteauneuf-du-Pape experience since 1942, people knew what we wanted, but more importantly, they knew what they didn't want. That is why Château de Nalys is the combination of an excellent terroir combined with a deep and strong history, and one with amazing potential and is without doubt one of the most exciting terroirs for Châteauneuf.

The Nalys estate is mentioned in several documents dating back more than 400 years and takes its name from the original inhabitant, Jacques Nalis. Guigal is only the fourth owner “We remain very humble and have a lot to learn from our terroirs but we are eager to show the full potential of the great domain and spend a lot of time and energy to achieve this,” says Guigal.

The rich history of Chateau Nalys goes back even further than this special estate. The area was settled around the late 10th or early 11th century, and by 1317 Pope John XXII began building the hilltop castle in the village after which it is now partly named.

As for the Nalys estate itself, it consists of 60 hectares divided into three parcels of equal size, each with its own terroir. One of these, La Crau, shows pebbly soil — the rounded rocks are known as galets roulés — and is in what Guigal calls, "the most recognizable and legendary terroir of Châteauneuf."

The Chateau de Nalys Grand Vin is destined to become the new flagship of Nalys. This Chateauneuf du Pape Grand Vin is a blend of 59% Grenache, 32% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 3% Counoise and 1% Vaccarèse. It's full and velvety, with hints of vanilla and sandalwood, but there are also layers of dark cherry fruit. Subtle notes of cinnamon, cloves and allspice enhance the long, silky finish. Ripe dark plums and chocolate to finish. It is a promising debut for the Guigal team. The wine is already delicious to drink, but can also easily be stored in the cellar for another 15 years.