17. Cask sample. Brimming with red fruits. A real sweetness and firm tannins on the attack – an earthy and spiced note on the mid palate and a rich, layered finish. Pretty sweet sensation of fruit here. Attractive and great concentration of fruit. A baby but shows great potential.
Drink 2028-2040
92-94. A blend of 90% Grenache and 100% Mourvèdre (Pignan). The 2022 Châteauneuf du Pape Piedlong sees a touch of stems and is raised in larger foudre for two years. It’s another up-front. Sexy. Perfumed 2022 with spiced red and black fruits, garrigue, and savory flower notes to go with a medium to full-bodied. Layered style on the palate. It has plenty of tannins, but this beauty will show well right out of the gate.
94-96. Taking its name from a lieu-dit, Piedlong is a Brunier family project focused on Grenache Noir from sandy soils, in contrast to the galets roulés that characterize the La Crau bottling from Vieux Télégraphe. The usual blend is 90% Grenache from le Pied Long and 10% Mourvèdre from Pignan. This is a lighter-hued, more ephemeral expression of Grenache and CdP, yet it’s one that can still possess ample aging potential. The 2021 is particularly successful in a challenging vintage, even if it is more of an early-drinker.
A superb effort, Piedlong’s 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape is the same blend as typical—90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre—but a step up in quality compared to the 2021. From sandy soils, it delivers delicate florals, alpine strawberries and garrigue-like notes, while being full-bodied, ripe and round in the mouth. Silky, with bright acids, it finishes long, spicy and zesty. Impressive.