Will Bean

9.6

🤯 🤯🤯 Difficult to find even when in the region it comes from, but, YES YES YES. Magic — 5 months ago

Martinez

9.4

One of Usseglio’s top cuvées, Mon Aïeul (“my granddad”) is 100% Grenache from some of the estate’s oldest vines (about 85 years of age) in La Crau, La Guigasse and Les Grandes Serres lieux-dits – each with a different type of soil.

Situated on an elevated plateau to the east of the village, La Crau is perhaps Châteauneuf’s most famous cru, known for its distinctive “galets roulés”, large, rounded river stones deposited here by the Rhône millions of years ago. To the south of the village, Les Grandes Serres is a very warm site on gravelly alluvial soils (and the source of the estate’s biggest wine, the 18% ABV “Not for You”). La Guigasse, on the other hand, is a cooler, sandier site with hardly any galets located on the northeastern part of the appellation, near the famous Pignan and Rayas lieux-dits (Chateau Rayas)

Mostly unoaked, it was brought up in concrete vats, with 15-20% in demi-muids. Ruby red color. Intensely perfumed, with notes of red and dark fruit (strawberry, raspberry), licorice and herbs. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and concentrated. Ripe fruit (cherry) and white pepper, smooth and creamy on the palate. Long, velvety, quite tannic finish. Hedonistic wine. — 2 years ago

Katie

9.5

Wine club November — 4 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.1

Very powerful aromatics. Needs a few more years to come around. — 6 months ago

Tom Casagrande

9.3

I’m glad we still have Randall Grahm to make special wines like this because Lord knows the shitty US importer of Rayas, Pignan, Fonsallette and even Chateau des Tours has decided it’s easier to phone it in by selling out Reynaud Grenaches to the elite “swells” though private channels rather than making it available to less well-heeled wine lovers through normal retail. Fuck that shit. As for my take on this excellent wine, see my most recent note from August 2022 on this, but this is incrementally better and more complex and resolved after several more months’ rest. — 2 years ago

John W

9.2

Ruby coloration. Notable transparency- can see through to the bottom of the glass. On the nose, dark cherry, anise, herbs, and some forest floor. On the palate, cherry, anise, very ripe cantaloupe, vanilla, and a long finish. Full body and nice, rich mouthfeel. Balanced tannins and acidity. $60 at B21. — 3 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.1

This is beautifully rustic. The evolution could have not been better. It’s peaking now and by no means dead. Reminds me of pignan in many ways. Light ruby. grapefruit skin on the nose with some light animale and spice. Pomegranate and wild strawberry. Absolutely intoxicating nose and the palate is silk. Bottle was finished in no time. Super easy — 4 years ago

Brian S

9.1

Smoky, meaty, and minty, good but needs lamb. — a year ago

Dean Butler

9.0

At Barrington’s. — 2 years ago

Doug Powers

9.2

Very mineral and floral up front, seems riper than the Pignan Regnie and Chamonard Morgon, but 2011 seems to supply the requisite backbone and structure, nice balance, medium-long finish, very good! — 3 years ago

with Jim