Josh Raynolds on Domaine Charvin | Vinous
| Publication | vinous.com |
| Author | Josh Raynolds |
| Published | March, 2017 |
“Made with whole clusters, fermented and raised entirely in large concrete tanks, the ebullient and ever-curious Laurent Charvin’s wines are always some of the most elegant, highly perfumed and pure wines of the appellation. At the same time they are reliably deep in flavour and balanced to age, despite their suave, upfront appeal. In 2015 Charvin made what might be, for me, perhaps the best wine ever from his family’s nine hectares of vines on Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which he took over in 1990. As an example of his wines’ ageworthiness, the 1998 rendition of Charvin’s Châteauneuf, from a highly-regarded vintage whose wines are often and unfortunately over the hill and drying out now, is absolutely lovely today, with deep color and intense, still-fresh red fruit and floral character. Well-stored bottles should have no trouble hitting their 25th birthday in fine form, which I don’t expect to be the case with most wines from this hot vintage.”
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AC 2015
Rating 94-96
Lurid ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille scents are complemented by hints of musk rhubarb and Asian spices. Palate-staining sweet red and blue fruit and spicecake flavours show power as well as superb vivacity thanks to a spine of juicy acidity. The floral quality comes back emphatically on a strikingly long, sappy finish shaped by smooth, slow-mounting tannins. This might be the finest wine to emerge from this estate that I have ever tasted, and I’ve had some pretty amazing ones over the years.
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