Châteauneuf-du-Pape Sine Fine

Sine Fine is the new generation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 2.0 so to speak.

Pascal and Vincent Maurel can look back on their work with pride, because there is no other domaine in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation that has produced such great wines with anything close to the consistency and constancy of the Maurel brothers.

 Kudos! Now the time has come for Pascal and Vincent to gradually hand over responsibility to their sons and in future only provide advice and support.

The first step is this new wine, Sine Fine (Latin for “endless” or “boundless”), which, as I like to say, reflects the spirit of the times. The wine is easy to enjoy without having to compromise on anything. It has worked out great. The wine grows on the plateau next to Mont Redon, where it is slightly cooler on average. Two-thirds of the wine, Grenache, grows on sandy soil and the other third, Cincault, grows on loamy soil. The completely destemmed grapes are carefully extracted using “remontages,” which results in a fine, silky tannin quality. The wine is aged in concrete, as was common practice in the south in the past, which is aroma-neutral and does not distort the terroir.

The wine has a hellishly seductive aroma of red berries, with subtle herbal notes adding another dimension to the bouquet. Earthy tones and mushroom notes add two more layers. Everything is in constant flux, yet these aromas always come together to create an incredible bouquet. The mouthfeel is no less interesting! As impressive as the wine's presence is at the start, it is fascinating to experience how the wine suddenly unleashes super-elegant, fresh, wonderfully robust but ripe tannins and moves energetically across the palate. The wine feels as light as a feather, moving with such grace. In my opinion, this wine is a wonderful new, contemporary Châteauneuf-du-Pape that you should definitely try if you are interested in wines from the south. Especially if you find Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines in general too heavy, because Sine Fine is not!