Châteauneuf-du-Pape «Cuvée de mon Aïeul» - 2020

«Unquestionably one of the top estates in France» Jeb Dunnuck

The Cuvée de mon Aïeul was created in 1998 as a tribute to Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio's grandfather. The terroir is sandy and stony under rolled pebbles typical of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. The grape varieties are 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah for a deliberately controlled yield of 18 hectolitres per hectare.

La Cuvée de mon Aïeul is a plot-by-plot selection of old vines aged between 75 and 90 years old coming from plots on La Crau, les Bédines and les Serres. The harvest is completely destemmed with a vatting period of 30 to 40 days in thermo-regulated vats. In order to preserve the purity of the fruit, this wine is aged only in concrete vats.

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape " Cuvée de mon Aïeul " from Domaine Pierre Usseglio is a complex and powerful wine. With a very dark purple colour, it opens on notes of blueberries, lavender, liquorice and raspberry. It is a very structured wine, yet elegant and silky.

Arrived from Italy in 1931, Francis Usseglio, a wine-grower in Châteauneuf-du Pape, obtained the right to take care of 8 hectares of vines as a sharecropper in 1948. Producing his own wine from 1949, he thus created the Domaine Pierre Usseglio, in honour of his son, who would join him in the running of their vineyard and ostensibly enlarge their land. Today, Domaine Pierre Usseglio consists of 39 hectares of vines, 24 of which are red Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and is run by Francis' two grandsons: Thierry and Jean-Pierre.

Wine in Châteauneuf-du-Pape dates back to the installation of the Popes in the region of Avignon in the 14th century. John XXII developed the culture of wine by moving his summer residence there, introducing "the wine of the Popes" into the court of the sovereigns of the time.

Sometimes more than 65 years old, the vines of Domaine Pierre Usseglio produce very low yields with the aim of quality. The terroir is made up of limestone, sand, clay, sandstone and rolled pebbles, and is particularly diversified. The grape varieties are mainly Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah and a little bit of Cinsault. The harvest is hand-picked with selective sorting. The grapes are then stalked, the vatting lasts about thirty days and the maturing lasts twelve months in half of oak barrels. Parcel vinification, followed by deferred harvesting according to maturity, allows for the development of aromas, a specific blend according to the characteristics of the terroir and a beautiful concentration of the fruit.

The red colour of Domaine Usseglio is intense ruby. Aromas of red fruits (cherries, raspberries) are delicately felt on the nose, followed by aromas of spices and garrigue as well. On the palate, it is round, crisp and elegant. Notes of laurel, thyme and rosemary, especially blackberries, make it an ideal accompaniment to beef bourguignon, Provençal-style kidneys or a good cheese.

Lirac has a certain suppleness, the garrigue is even more present, bringing freshness. The wine "Mon Aïeul" is dense and powerful. By uncorking a wine from Domaine Pierre Usseglio, you will travel to a better past, in the sun, surrounded by your relatives, friends or family.