Domaine de Villeneuve La Griffe 2024

Domaine de Villeneuve lies on the northern edge of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape denomination in the southern Rhône, owned by Stanislas Wallut since 1993 and farmed biodynamically. La Griffe is a Côtes du Rhône red blending Grenache with Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault, the classic southern Rhône grouping. The estate's old vines grow on ancient geological soils, including the rolled stones and red clay of the area, which store the day's heat and feed it back to the vines overnight to push the Grenache to full ripeness while the constant mistral keeps the fruit clean and concentrated. The wine is raised in concrete rather than oak, a neutral vessel that holds the fruit and the stony, herbal character of the site without adding barrel flavour. The colour is deep red. The nose shows ripe red berry and plum over black pepper, liquorice and the scrubby thyme and rosemary note of garrigue. The palate is round and warm, with soft tannin, generous fruit and a savoury, spiced finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and herby pork dishes.