ABOUT: Christophe Ogier began a well respected negociant business in the Rhone valley in 1859, and in 1948 the next generation of the Ogier family started to blend, age, and bottle their own wines. Shortly thereafter they merged with Caves des Papes and Ogier Caves des Papes was born. Good wine was made, expansion was happening, and in 1999 they purchased Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes from the Amouroux family. The name is a tribute to the 18th century oratory that overlooks the hectares of vines below. The vineyard is loaded with the archetypal blend of unique stones; round stones (galets), sandy soils, red limestone, and limestone- based clays. In 2006 the vineyards were converted to organic cultivation, utilizing horse drawn plows and hand harvesting. The beautiful label is the original design from 1926, unchanged ever since. Year in and year out, the reds and whites from this vineyard are outstanding. TASTE: The Ogier Clos de l'Oratoire Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2014 is a blend of Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussane and Bourboulenc. The Wine Spectator gave this wine 90 points and had this to say about this beautiful wine. “Plump, with enticing melon, pear and peach flavors backed by a light bitter almond thread on the finish, this tasty white has a touch of toast, but the fruit wins out easily in the end.” We were lucky to get our hands on the last 6 bottles available, and feel this is an outstanding example of what exactly a white Chateauneuf du Pape is, and what it can be with a little age. PAIR: Risotto with roasted butternut squash, Saint-Marcellin cheese melted on french onion soup, pasta salad with pea shoots and parmesan, and cider glazed roasted vegetables with polenta.
