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letuffeau.com
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Domaine Charvin
Orange, Chateauneuf-du-Pape
“Chateauneuf may lack for actual chateaux, but it's still a place where you property speaks to your self-view. In this case, Laurent Charvin's no-frills cellar, a glorified garage on the northern-western edge of the appellation, couldn't speak more clearly: no bullshit at this address. The ruse might be that Charvin and his father, Gerard, before him were among the few producers (Rayas being another) that drew acclaim during the era of ambition ... while never falling prey to stylistic temptations. Somehow, the wines remain an insiders treat, their prices never quite spiraling. If you can't drink Rayas, Charvin's wines will similarly remind you of the timelessness of great grenache.”
The New French Wine — Jon Bonne
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“no bullshit at this address.”
“So rings Jon Bonne’s statement in his double-volume tome on the more modern state of French Wine. To be sure, I do not agree with many if not most of his views. His reverence for frankly underwhelming producers bewilders me. Who among you, dear Readers, has opened a bottle from Pierre Overnoy for instance, and been utterly disappointed.
I have never had such a problem with Domaine Charvin. Indeed, the wines from this small Domaine near the Maucoil lieu-dit have routinely impressed and remain, above all others, the best represented single producer in my cellar; this is both by bottle numbers and depth of vintage holdings - from 2007 to 2023.
That ‘Mr. Claret’ and ‘Senor Viejo Rioja’ should place so much attention on Southern Rhone feels … wrong, and yet I always have enjoyed opening these wines at every stage of their lives, all the more so when they reach their long-stretching plateau of maturity after about a decade.
The wines are always fresh and elegant; grapes are picked to this effect (rather than just for massive extract), and the Domaine owns only concrete tanks for ferment and elevage.
Silken, precise, refined, charming, lifted, fine, vibrancy, tensile;
none of these usually describe the wines of the appellation yet are in all too common parlance when discussing Domaine Charvin.
To be sure, there is Rayas. Domaine Charvin remain, however, my favourite Chateaunuef-du-Pape.”
— David
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Domaine Charvin 2023 Chateauneuf-du-Pape
(Shelf Price: $198.00)
Offer: $175.00
“Plenty of class, a subtle texture, balance and precision. It shows aromas of raspberries, red cherries, roasted meat, warm spices and some leather. Medium- to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. The texture is so refined, restrained and savory, with a long, precise, chiseled finish. Almost crunchy, with an attractive note of orange peel. A complete red wine that’s 20% Grenache with Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise and Vaccarese. Drink or hold.”
98pts — Stuart Piggott, jamessuckling.com
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“Still in tank at the time of tasting, Charvin’s 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape shows a less flamboyant profile than last year, opening with aromas of menthol, spices, cassis and mulberries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and layered, it reveals a lively, tensile core of fruit framed by velvety tannins, concluding with a finish marked by real freshness. Matured for 21 months, this blend of 82% Grenache Noir, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvedre, 4% Vaccarese and the balance Counoise is another impressive success from Laurent Charvin, emphasizing precision and vibrancy over sheer opulence.”
95+pts — Yohan Castaing
Order here
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also available
Domaine Charvin 2023 Cotes du Rhone ‘Damon’
(Shelf Price: $67.00)
Offer: $54.00
“Aromas of loamy earth, leather cure, sweet black cherry, and darkly herbal garrigue mingle with nuances of warm stones, game, cold ash, and candied cherry and orange peel. The palate is opulent, large scale, and sweetly fruited; slightly compact at this young stage but still dense with fruit. The classic Charvin complexity and freshness from the full use of whole bunches is present. Silken! Black cherry studded fruitcake, black plums, black raspberry, black plums. The overall profile here is deeply pitched yet there is plenty of savoury nuance from garrigue, orange rind, and cured meat. The finish is welcomely earthy and stony, littered with dried peels, thyme, and game nuances that repeat until the last vestiges of fruit have faded.”
— David
Order here
(Link)
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Please join us for a drink soon. Reservations preferred.
Bookings and after-6.00pm access: (03) 9419 3867
Tue. 11.00 am–6.00 pm
Wed.–Sat. 11.00 am–11.00 pm
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If you would like any of the above, would like to come by for a private appointment, or just have some questions — please let us know.