Domaine Benedetti is a small, organic, family-run estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The domaine was founded by Nicolas Benedetti in 1930, when he moved his family from Italy to the southern Rhône. Today, his great-grandson (also named Nicolas Benedetti) organically farms 4 hectares in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 10 hectares of Côtes du Rhône and 2 hectares of Vin de Pays. When I tasted the Domaine’s wines, I was blown away by their purity, depth and richness, not to mention the pinpoint expression of the terroir and vintage conditions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the southern Rhône.

Benedetti’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge is a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% Cinsault. The wine delivers a pristine representation of the southern Rhône’s most prestigious appellation: mesmerizing aromas of ripe berries, crushed herbs and baked earth... a palate like drinking liquid silk wrapped around macerated fruit... and a finish that seems to last as long as a summer sunset. It is almost as if the estate was able to distill the essence of the Rhône sunshine and capture it in a bottle. Domaine Benedetti’s Tradition is an absolutely stunning, decadent and delicious wine; a vivid reminder of why Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the king. Truly majestic.