The 2022 Statera is all Cinsault which is highly unusual in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. But the region allows you to use single varietals for bottling. There is only one other producer that I know of makes a 100% Cinsault CDP and it is Isabelle Colombis. That wine is so hard to come by and the price point is staggering. I wish I could compare the two directly at some point... But right now I take solace that Nico Benedetti's Statera is one of the most singular reds I have tasted out of the region this year. All from old vines from a small parcel, it is aged in amphora. This is not your prototypical wine from this area. I think of it as a Châteauneuf with more lift. It has a perfume of rose hips, strawberry, raspberry compote and incense but with an X factor that draws you in and compels you to revisit your glass. This is truly special stuff that promises even greater things to come.

This is one of my very favorite CNP's of the past several months. It stands out, for me, from its two sister wines by being the more herbal, bright, and floral of the bunch. There are dry tannins present offset by violets, roses, and deep red fruits that are relatively ripe. At once classic and unusual. It's really just plain great!

What a delightful bottle of wine. Aromas of pomegranate, wild strawberries, hibiscus, basil leaves, rose hip tea, and a touch of lavender on the finish. Fresh, bright, and quite precise on the palate. An unique bottling of Chateauneuf du Pape, being 100% Cinsault.