Description
Domaine La Manarine, Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Pied de Baud”
Having honed his skills as former winemaker/vineyard manager at legendary Domaine Monpertuis, Gilles Gasq’s Châteauneufs were among the most consistently delicious and critically acclaimed of the 2000s. As perennial favorites of The Wine Advocate and Jancis Robinson, he was riding high, that is until Monpertuis’ owner sold the estate and Gasq was forced to stop making Châteauneuf altogether. For years, I had my fingers crossed in hopes that, one day, he would return to this renowned terroir.
By 2015, I had all but given up, assuming his old CdPs would eventually be resigned to folklore and “back in my day” stories. Then, in 2015, Gasq unexpectedly emerged with one of the most expressive and memorable Châteauneuf-du-Papes I had tasted in a long time, and that’s when I learned he hadn’t been living in seclusion. In fact, it was his dream to return here all along: His years of “absence” had been spent hunting down the most prime cut of CdP vines—a scant 1.5 hectares of half-century-old vines in “Pied de Baud,” among my favorite lieu-dits (named sites) in the region. The rest was history. With his organic farming and insane talent in the cellar, this momentous micro-bottling instantly became a new standard-setter for Châteauneuf. And today’s newly released 2017? Simply unbelievable. Scarce quantities exist.
In humble, old-school vigneron fashion, Gilles Gasq doesn’t splash his name in big letters across the front label of his wine. The biggest print is reserved for the appellation, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and his domaine name, La Manarine. But for those who appreciate masterful, Grenache-driven CdP, that little “Gilles Gasq et ses enfants” at the bottom looms very large: Gasq is one of Châteauneuf’s great modern-era talents, having crafted some of the most authentic and critically beloved wines in the region at the legendary Domaine Monpertuis well over a dozen years ago. After that iconic property was sold, Gasq regrouped and went to work securing what he believes to be the region’s best sliver of vines. Then, he debuted his Domaine La Manarine Châteaunuef to major fanfare in 2015.
Although Gasq is one of the great cellar talents of the region, there’s so much more to this wine. First off, most CdP reds at this price point tend to be a mishmash of multiple vineyards, purchased fruit, and an ever-changing blend of varieties. Gasq’s, on the other hand, is 100% organically farmed, old-vine Grenache Noir from two of the finest (and adjacent) vineyard sites in the appellation. Covered in the region’s famous cailloux stones, “Cabrières” is one of the most celebrated vineyard parcels in the northern half of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation and makes up 25% of this wine. Not to be outdone, the “Pied de Baud” vineyard makes up the remaining 75%. Pied de Baud is a gorgeous, ancient site that forms the backbone of one of my all-time favorite Southern Rhône reds, Bois de Boursan’s $100-per-bottle “Cuvée des Felix.” This is pedigreed real estate and you can taste it in every delicious drop of today’s wine.
With 50% de-stemming, spontaneous fermentations, and 18 months of aging in a 20:80 mix of neutral oak demi-muids and epoxy-lined steel tanks, Manarine’s 2017 unfined/unfiltered “Pied de Baud” dominates both aromatically and texturally. Around 60 degrees, it storms out of a Burgundy stem with unbridled lushness in the form of dark cherry liqueur, boysenberry, raspberry coulis, currant, sweet licorice, an assortment of blue and red flowers, anise, exotic spice, and hints of charred garrigue. The palate is lush, full-bodied, lifted, and exceedingly pure. As displayed in the previous two vintages, an exuberant and inexhaustible sense of energy and balance here keeps the wine pleasing to the palate and irrepressibly delicious after many hours. Sadly, I can’t say that about very many Southern Rhône reds these days, so this is a real treat! There are only a few hundred cases on the planet and I fully expect that, just like 6-7 years ago, Gasq’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape is going to be a global sensation before long. Welcome back, Gilles—we hope you live a long, healthy life!
