"One of the top wines of the vintage, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Les Origines bucks the vintage stereotype and has fabulous richness and depth in its ripe black raspberry, creamy licorice, white chocolate and pepper-laced aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, elegant and balanced, it should benefit from short-term cellaring and have 10-15 years of longevity. Due to the difficulty with Grenache, the blend here has been tweaked, with just 45% Grenache in the blend, and the rest 35% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre. All of which will see 16 months in a combination of concrete tank and barrel. - Jeb Dunnuck"
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (Issue 215, October 2014), 92-94 pts
Go to Domaine Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Cuvee les Origines
"Tarry and fleshy in feel, with a bittersweet cocoa note framing the thickly layered core of warmed fig, dark currant preserves and lightly mulled plum fruit flavors. Lots of tobacco, Turkish coffee and licorice root details fill in on the finish, which leaves a broad wake. Best from 2018 through 2028. 8,000 cases made."
"Alain Jaume and his children, Sébastien, Christophe and Hélène, grow this wine in a stony, red-clay parcel on the northern high plateau, near Beaucastel. It seems to channel the cooler clime in the tightness of its fruit, as red and firm as a barely ripe Bing cherry; in the taut energy of its acidity; in the floral fillips that give it grace. At the same time, there’s a dark and earthy side, grippy tannins slowly drawing out the meatiness of its concentration. Nearly half grenache, fermented in cement, the rest mourvèdre and syrah (30 and 20 percent, respectively) fermented in oak, it feels like a wine with a clear story to tell. Give it a half-dozen years in the cellar to relax; then pull it out for a winter evening."
"The 2014 Châteauneuf du Pape Les Origines is 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah, all of which was aged in concrete tanks and smaller barrels. It’s a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated and balanced red that has notes of mulled blackberries, garrigue, baking spice and licorice. As with the 2015s, the oak here is more dialed in and integrated. It should keep through 2025. - Jeb Dunnuck"
"The classic blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah brought up in new barrels and concrete tanks, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines is a cuvée that's much more elegant and seamless today than in the past. Cured meats, ripe red and black fruits, garrigue, and graphite notes all emerge from this balanced, structured wine that has beautiful purity and length. There's plenty of tannins, so give it a few years."
"Despite the ripeness and plump, rounded palate, there's subtlety and restraint in the black cherry and berry flavors here. With its deeply integrated acidity and alcohol, it's a nuanced, concentrated red shaded by hints of nut and toast. Ripe but firm, penetrating tannins grip the long, savory finish. Hold until 2021 and enjoy for decades to come."
"Half of the fabulous 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee les Origines was aged in new barriques, the rest in concrete vats, so there is some oak in play here, but the blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah has absorbed much of it. This full-bodied wine is tannic and rich, with fruit shading from cherries and red plums all the way through to plum and cola. Mocha and baking spices appear on the long, velvety finish. Joe Czerwinski"