Product Description
91 points John Gilman, View from the Cellar
"Jérôme Mathieu only began working on his own in the 2016 vintage, as previously he had worked alongside of his brother at the family’s Domaine Mathieu in Châteauneuf du Pape. However, with his nephew coming of age to start working at the family domaine, Jérôme and his brother agreed to split up the family vineyards and Domaine de Saje was born from Jérôme’s half of the vineyard patrimony. He has two hectares of vines in the Côtes-du-Rhône AOC, just outside of the borders of Châteauneuf, with the field blend roughly planted to two-thirds grenache and one-third syrah. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and raised in cement vats, with the 2019 version coming in at fourteen percent octane. It offers up a superb bouquet of black raspberries, a touch of fruitcake, pepper, smoked meats, a good base of soil and a topnote of bonfire. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied, peppery and complex, with fine focus and balance, a lovely core and good soil undertow on the long, moderately tannic and quite serious finish. Not surprisingly, this has plenty of Châteauneuf du Pape character. This is outstanding and a stunning value! 2025-2045+."
Vinous Reverie Notes
The Mathieu family is the oldest wine producing family in Chateauneuf. For many years, Jérome Mathieu worked alongside his brother André at Domaine Mathieu, managing the estate passed down from their parents. Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Chateau Mar is based on Grenache with roughly 35% Syrah from 5 acres that grow across the AOC border of Chateauneuf, just northwest of the Maucoil and Cabrieres zones. Raised in concrete vats. The wine is made "on the fruit," Jérome says, and he’s not kidding.
