2019 Chateau de Nalys Grand Vin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 750 ml

As Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate put it, the Guigal family is “the modern world’s greatest testament to a family-run winery with impeccably high standards, integrity and an uncompromising vision of the future.” In 2017, after minting over TWENTY 100-point wines from their stronghold in Côte-Rôtie, Philippe and father Marcel Guigal made a major splash by acquiring an ancient, 125-acre estate in the heart of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 

It’s not hard to see why Philippe and Marcel finally pulled the trigger. The Nalys estate, which dates back four centuries to the 1600s, comprises three plots. By blending select parcels from the three vineyards, the Guigals knew they could produce a Southern Rhône red to rival their masterpieces from up north. 

In the 2019, half the fruit hails from the iconic, galet-strewn La Crau, where their vines neighbor those of Henri Bonneau and La Janasse; the wines are famed for their massive structure and expressive fruit. The Nalys vineyard, packed with the red sandy clay soil known locally as saffres, furnishes freshness and silky texture, while the small stones and sand of Bois Sénéchal lend balance and precision.

The Guigals set to work immediately, replanting 12 acres of vines, instigating organic farming practices, and requiring crews to make multiple passes through the vineyards during harvest, picking by vine age, not plot. The 2019 is a testament to just how great this estate can be.

It’s impossible to imagine the Guigal family, now with their own outpost in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, doing anything other than elevating Château de Nalys to the absolute pinnacle of the region. And when they do—and the wines command commensurate prices—you’ll be glad you have this phenomenal 2019 in the cellar.