2020 Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf-du-Pape 750 ml

Domaine de Cristia is a Châteauneuf superstar that combines a dynamite winemaker with some of the most coveted terroir in the Southern Rhône.

Their Vieilles Vignes is always at the top of the area’s charts—it’s collectible that’s consistently one of the single best wines in Châteauneuf—but it’s the classique bottling that most consistently finds its way into our hearts and cellars. That’s especially true in an out-of-this-world vintage like 2020. It’s hard to imagine how your Châteauneuf dollar could go farther.

The drought and warmth of the “outstanding” vintage (Advocate) produced a big, silky and absolutely jam-packed wine that’s bursting with bold flavors like black cherry, crushed plum, and raspberry liqueur, intertwined with garrigue, cracked pepper, and warm spices. 

“The Grangeon family owns vineyards in some superb sandy sites, including the lieux-dits of Cristia and la Font du Loup,” noted Jeb Dunnuck, and they quickly leveraged those prime terroirs into some of the most exciting wines in the appellation. Their rise was so dramatic that Robert Parker declared: “Domaine de Cristia has come on like gangbusters over the last decade,” hailing proprietors Dominique and Baptiste Grangeon as “among the up-and-coming stars in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.”

In 2020, the growing season began with ample late-fall precipitation followed by a mild, dry winter that led to early bud break and a generous crop set. While summer brought heat and drought conditions that caused some vine shutdown, most estates reported healthy vineyards that managed the stress well. A brief late-August rain was just what the vines needed to sprint over the finish line, and the September harvest ultimately delivered fruit that translated to wines defined more by finesse than power.