A masterpiece of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The fruit power leads this wine and lends that effortless sense of power and length that only old vines can muster. Oak adds spice but the blood plum and dark cherry fruits take center stage here. Best from 2020.
A 60/40 blend of Grenache and Syrah, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hautes Brusquières reveals a medium ruby color as well as ample notes of strawberries, dried garrigue, and dried flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, elegant and silky on the palate, with nicely integrated acidity. It's elegant and charming, yet not one of the top vintages for this cuvée.
Robert Parker Wine Advocate 95 Points
My favorite of the multiple cuvées was the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvee Speciale. It's the most floral and expressive of the Charbonnière 2015s, with scents of garrigue and violets accenting raspberry and cherry fruit. Full-bodied yet supple, it comes to a finely focused, elegant and lingering finish with no apparent heat. It should drink well for up to 15 years.
The Maret family at Domaine de la Charbonnière is now into their fourth generation, as I met sisters Véronique and Caroline at the estate for a Sunday morning of tasting with their enology consultant, the ubiquitous Philippe Cambie. The estate now consists of 30 hectares in total, with 19.5 of them in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and six in Vacqueyras. Like many vignerons in the Southern Rhône, they are using whole clusters more and more, getting more complexity and freshness into the wines.
