Rotem & Mounir Saouma Chateauneuf du Pape Arioso Rouge 2011 750ml

I tasted this and I thought of the great Rayas from the late 1980s. Full body, bright fruit and a creamy texture. Its purity of fruit is amazing with dark berry, spice, meat and dried flowers. The first vintage of this was 2009. Made from old vines planted in the 1940s. Aged three years in demi mouie. Very low sulfur too. Drink or hold.

• Country: France
• Region: Rhone Valley
• Appellation: Chateauneuf Du Pape
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Red Rhone Blend

The Rhone region of France has been producing superb quality white blended wines for centuries, and is a region highly respected and esteemed around the world, with plenty of New World countries keen to emulate the styles and techniques displayed by the historic wineries and skilled vintners of the area. The secret to the Rhone’s success when it comes to blended white wines is the careful and expert selection of certain grape varietals, which each lend special features to the blended wine and bring balance and harmony to the bottle. Most commonly, blended white Rhone wines feature no more than two grapes of either the Viognier, Rousanne, Marsanne or Grenache Blanc varietals, and are renowned for their exceptional flavors and highly aromatic, floral character.