Clos Saint Jean - La Combes Des Fous Chateauneuf Du Pape 2020 (1.5L)
Price: $259.00
| Producer | Clos Saint Jean |
| Country | France |
| Region | Rhone |
| Subregion | Chateauneuf du Pape |
| Varietal | Chateauneuf du Pape Blend |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 272584 |
| Size | 1.5L |
Falstaff: 97 Points
Deep ruby garnet in colour with purple reflections and a broad and bright ochre rim. On the nose, a multi-faceted bouquet of candied orange zest, ripe cherry, some nougat and leather. The palate is juicy with red berry fruit, fine sweetness, and ripe supporting tannins, mineral and long with a hint of nougat on the finish. A substantial food wine with ageing potential.
Wine Spectator: 96 Points
Pumps out heady raspberry mulberry and blackberry compote notes that keep form and direction thanks to a roasted apple wood spine and flanking ganache garrigue and warm earth notes. Seriously grippy finish. Grenache Syrah Cinsault and Vaccarèse. Best from 2025 through 2040. ?J.M.
Jeb Dunnuck: 96 Points
In contrast to the bigger richer Deus-Ex Machina the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pap
Wine Advocate: 94+ Points
The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous is an assemblage of 60% Grenache (planted in 1905 on sandy soils and typically raised in concrete) 20% Syrah 10% Cinsault and 10% Vaccarese (these are normally matured in oak). In 2020 this comes across as slightly smoky on the nose with plenty of black raspberry fruit but not as much nuance as this cuvée often exhibits. It's full-bodied and softly tannic with a mouthfeel that's deceptively airy and a long lingering finish so perhaps the bouquet was just going through an awkward phase. In both 2022 and 2023 I had a chance to sit and taste with Vincent Maurel and his nephew Valentin who recently completed his enological studies. The opportunity to compare and contrast the 2020 and 2021 vintages at this benchmark estate makes for compelling "work." Other members of the next generation are expected to join the business in the next several years with Vincent's son Hugo currently studying enology in Spain and his niece (Valentin's sister) Claire studying commerce. The future of this family estate of 48 hectares seems secure although as Vincent points out "The estate which arrived from my father grandfather and great-grandfather is not a cash machine." All of the various cuvées that emerge from the modern cellar in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape are consistently excellent but the Maurel family seems to excel in difficult vintages. Perhaps it was just the different behaviors of the vintages post-bottling but I actually preferred the fragrance and perfumes of the 2021s at this domaine. Vincent Maurel described the year as marked by frost then being relatively cool and rainy resulting in more elegant softer wines. Most of the estate wasn't damaged by the frost (only about 10% according to Vincent) so it was a question of spraying regularly and staying on top of mildew pressure much like in 2018 or 2011. He seemed to prefer the 2020s saying "I love this year because all the different elements are in their place. The right balance you have the structure you have the maturity but you also have the freshness." Quantities of the 2022s will be very limited and some cuvées may not be bottled as much of the family's holding are in la Crau which was heavily impacted by the hailstorm that swept across that portion of the appellation on August 14. Fans may therefore want to buy up ample stocks of the 2020s and 2021s reviewed here. Published: Oct 12 2023
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