1999 Xavier Vignon "1999" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Staff Reviews

CM

Craig Morris

Craig Morris

Review Date: 10/2024

One of my favorites from the Xavier Vignon lineup of aged wines. This wine is a knockout! It leads with spice, then the berry fruit comes in, and lastly some light florals waft through on the finish. The tannins are light, but still present in spite of this wine being near 25 years old! The takeaway word here, though, is balance. All of these elements are well-integrated and tie together into a wonderful bottle of wine.

Notes

Xavier Vignon was always a scientist at heart and began his studies in pharmacology in Reims in the Champagne region. A chance encounter with an oenologist ignited his passion for wine and set him on a new path where he quickly changed his focus to winemaking. Studying winemaking in Champagne and abroad gave him a different outlook in wine production and he brought that perspective back to Montpellier in southern France where he finished his oenology degree. Accumulating years of wine experience, his career as a consulting winemaker really started in 1996. Focusing on top estates and growers in the Rhone Valley, he has created a catalog of contacts that he calls on to get some of the best fruit (that he helps grow) and makes some of the most exciting wines in the region. You'll be hard pressed to find a better value in any category!