Description
Château Cabrières, “Le Petit Cabrières”
In a way, it’s a bit of a humblebrag to use the word “Petit” on this wine’s label. It’s like the beautifully put-together woman who feigns nonchalance. Oh, this little wine? We just threw it together. But make no mistake: This little wine from Château Cabrières runs circles around many grands vins costing twice and three times as much.
In the spirit of more famous (and expensive) examples like Le Petit Mouton de Mouton-Rothschild, Cabrières has the history and the wherewithal to make a “Petit” wine that is anything but. I could have spared you the long preamble and simply described this 2019 as a sumptuous Châteauneuf-du-Pape in disguise, but it’s so good and such an amazing value that a little melodrama was in order. Combining Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault from 30-year-old vines and offering a vivid evocation of Southern Rhône Valley sunshine and soil, Le Petit Cabrières is one of the most impressive Southern Rhône wines I’ve tasted recently, regardless of price. I’m not surprised, mind you, just excited to share it!
It’s also worth mentioning that, given stylistic trends in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the surrounding area, “Petit” is plenty. Our preferences skew heavily toward wines with more energy and lift, which isn’t easy to find these days in the Southern Rhône: A lot of producers are chasing scores with ultra-rich, often ponderous reds that may well impress the critics but don’t offer a lot of pleasure at the table. Among its many charms, Le Petit Cabrières is just the right size—a “goldilocks” wine without lots of extract and alcohol weighing it down.
As you’ll see on the label, the wine carries a “Vin de Pays de Vaucluse” designation, as well as the more geographically specific “Principauté d’Orange” (“principality of Orange”) moniker. All of which is a long way of saying it hails from vineyards in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the Arnaud family of Château Cabrières have very deep roots. Based on antique discoveries at the estate and era-specific architectural designs, it’s safe to assume Château Cabrières was first built somewhere around the 13th or 14th century; in the modern era, three generations of the Arnaud family have served as the custodians of this historic property. Their grapes were sold to négociants (merchant-bottlers) up until 1955, when first-generation Louis Arnaud decided to produce, bottle, and sell wine under his own label. Since then, their holdings have grown to a respectable 30 hectares, which contain all authorized grape varieties in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and vines that range from 17 to 119 years of age. In 2009, Guy Arnaud handed the reins to his daughter, Agnes, who runs the estate with her husband, Patrick Vernier, and their daughter, Astrid.
We’ve come across different versions of the cépage (blend) of this wine: some say it’s 50%-50% Grenache-Cinsault, others indicate the inclusion of Syrah. But it really doesn’t matter; what matters is the succulent, silky, sunny Southern Rhône-ness of the finished product. It’s a deep, nearly opaque garnet in the glass, sending up a wave of dark, plummy fruit and savory herb aromas as you swirl and sniff. Scents of ripe wild strawberry, juicy cherry, cassis, violet, lavender, licorice, dusty earth, and garrigue carry over to the full-bodied palate, but it comes with a caveat: This qualifies as a “full-bodied” wine, but in the context of Southern Rhône Valley reds, its freshness, aromatic lift, and relatively modest alcohol are all noteworthy. Decant this wine about 15 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems at 55-60 degrees and you’ve got a plush, fragrant crowd-pleaser on your hands: It will pair with Old School (rack of lamb) and New School (Texas BBQ) dishes alike, so consider stocking up—values this good don’t come along very often.
