Chateauneuf Drinkers: 2023 Usseglio CDP La Part des Anges – A Massive, Dark, Mourvèdre-Driven Masterpiece!

A Monument to Mourvèdre! 97 Points!

2023 Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape "La Part des Anges"
 

If you love big, powerful, deeply concentrated Châteauneuf-du-Pape, I've got something very special for you today! The 2023 Raymond Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape "La Part des Anges," awarded an extraordinary 97 points by James Suckling, and I've reduced the price from $89.99 to just $79.99! But what makes this wine so fascinating is that it breaks almost every expectation of what a traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape should be. Most producers build their blends around Grenache, but Raymond Usseglio takes an entirely different approach. La Part des Anges is a massive 70% Mourvèdre, complemented by just 20% Grenache and 10% Syrah! And for those familiar with Mourvèdre, you know exactly what that means: dark, powerful fruit, incredible structure, savory complexity and tremendous aging potential!

Mourvèdre is one of the Rhône Valley's most fascinating grapes, but also one of its most difficult to master. It's notoriously late-ripening, demanding plenty of sunshine and a long growing season to fully develop its thick skins and formidable tannins. The fruit for La Part des Anges comes primarily from the estate's Terres Blanches plateau, where vines averaging approximately 50 years of age grow in soils covered with the famous rounded stones of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. And here's another fascinating distinction: this is the only Châteauneuf-du-Pape in Raymond Usseglio's portfolio that is aged in oak! The wine is vinified and matured in large new oak demi-muids, which help tame Mourvèdre's naturally powerful structure while adding another dimension of richness and complexity. The estate also farms biodynamically, with Demeter certification, giving this remarkable wine an even stronger connection to the land from which it comes.

And I love the story behind the name. "La Part des Anges" translates to "The Angels' Share," a wonderful old French expression describing the small amount of wine that naturally evaporates through the barrel during aging. The romantic idea is that the angels take their share of the wine before the rest is bottled for us mere mortals! It's a fitting name for something this extraordinary, especially given the estate's unique use of oak. And the finished wine is every bit as dramatic as its name suggests. We're talking about layers of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, exotic spices, licorice and savory, almost meaty complexity, all wrapped around an incredibly concentrated core of fruit. This is Châteauneuf-du-Pape turned up to eleven!

James Suckling awarded the 2023 an outstanding 97 points, calling it a "compelling monument to the mourvedre grape." He describes enormous tannic structure, haunting aromas of bark and elderberries, and a powerful, driving finish, recommending that the wine will be at its best beginning in 2027. And that's exactly what makes this so exciting. This is a serious, unapologetically powerful Châteauneuf-du-Pape built for collectors who appreciate wines with enormous depth, character and the ability to evolve beautifully in the cellar. With just 60 bottles available, and the price reduced from $89.99 to $79.99, I think this is an outstanding opportunity to experience one of the most distinctive and fascinating wines coming out of Châteauneuf-du-Pape today!

2023 Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf Du Pape La Part Des Anges