2016 Chapillon Cuvee Paul Calatayud 750 ml

Spanish Red Diamond Discovery Amidst a 7,000-Producer Sea

We keep no official statistics on which winemaker has attained “favorite” status the fastest, but if we did, Christophe Chapillon—the Frenchman who has wooed Wine Access members with stunning Spanish reds like the 92-point Chapillon Cuvée Paul—would be a frontrunner.

Chapillon fans haven’t seen one of his reds appear in their inbox for a while, and they’ll rejoice at this under-$15 gem, which is cut from the exact same cloth as the wines that won them over: Cuvée Paul hails from the Calatayud region just south of Rioja, and its quality absolutely stuns for the price. This wine is perfect for lovers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other sun-baked, Grenache-dominant reds. It is fashioned from 100% Garnacha grown on 70-year-old vines—the kind of fruit that would only go into the most expensive Rhône wines—and spends one year in oak prior to bottling. Rich and ripe and showing tons of black and dried fruit, black pepper and cedar, James Suckling hailed Cuvée Paul as a “rich, elegant red” with “excellent balance and a long, polished finish.” Put away plenty, and serve without hesitation, as they don’t come much more value-packed than this one. 

It wasn’t even a year ago when a mutual friend at Prowein, in Dusseldorf, Germany, introduced us to the wonders of Christophe Chapillon: “You won’t believe the prices when you taste the quality.” Tasted amidst a backdrop of 7,000 other wines, we were floored, and after our first offer less than a year later, we’re fielding emails from eager clients who wouldn’t mind if they saw a Chapillon offer in their inbox once a week. Needless to say, Christophe has become one of our go-to producers in record time.

Christophe has spent some 20 years producing stunningly affordable wines of exceptional quality. He has brought the savoir-faire of a French winemaking family—he is from Tours, in the Loire valley—to the vastly underrated region of Aragon, southeast of Rioja. The area boasts a treasure trove of ancient vine parcels: Cuvée Paul is composed of Garnacha from 70-year-old vines, the type of fruit you might find in the southern Rhône, earmarked for top-level Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It’s easy to see why Christophe has made his home in Aragon since 1986: With that kind of fruit at his disposal, why would he go anywhere else?

As one of the very few places in the States offering the wines of Christophe Chapillon, it goes without saying that we’re happy the way things are, too. Cuvée Paul is yet another winner that will shine anywhere a Rhône or northern Spanish wine would: with lamb, duck confit, quail, or herb-roasted mushrooms. Christophe has a penchant for calling wines like this “vins d’amis”—wines for friends. Pour to impress anyone and everyone who comes to visit. The fact that it was under $20, you can keep to yourself.