Domaine de Cristia & Chapelle St-Théodoric – Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Domaine de Cristia
The Grangeon family owns Domaine de Cristia and farms just over 30 acres, spread through 4 different parcels; Le Cristia (which is broken into two parts, an upper and lower), Saint Georges and La Roquete. They have a number of old vines, and in a normal year they produce four Châteauneufs, a traditional red and white, and two special cuvees. Their Vieilles Vignes is 100% Grenache that comes all from sandy soils and is brought up all in old barrels. Their more modern styled cuvee is the cuvee Renaissance, and it’s roughly 60% Grenache, with the balance Mourvedre and Syrah, that’s aged all 25% new French oak. 

Most of the domaine's wines are located in the lieu-dit Cristia, which has mainly sandy soils well suited to Grenache. Baptiste Grangeon is also responsible for the winemaking of the exceptional Chapelle St. Theodoric wines​.​ These are all knock-out wines simply loaded with fruit, freshness and purity in the beautifully textured Cristia house style. There is excellent balance and finesse across the range with polished tannins to the fore.

Chapelle St-Théodoric
"The Chapelle St-Théodoric wines are a joint venture between Baptiste Grangeon of Cristia and his US importer, Peter Weygandt. Both wines come from single parcels of old-vine Grenache planted less than 200m from one another, vinified with whole bunches alone and given ultra-gentle extraction of just one pump-over per day before being aged in older demi-muids. The Grand Pin comes from Pignan and is slightly higher in altitude than La Guigasse; it has almost white sand soils. It’s a light, translucent red with fragrant, near-floral aromas which seem to combine delicate wild strawberry and bramble fruits with cream and rosebud sweetness. The palate is delicate and gossamer-light; the fruits drawn in pastels. At the end of the palate, there’s a darker turn, recalling plant roots and underbrush, filling and lending resonance and patina to the fruits but without ever occluding them. The wine keeps its poise all the way to an almost mouth-freshening finish."
— Andrew Jefford