Domaine La Barroche Pure Châteauneuf-du-Pape Julien Barrot / 2022 / 375mL

Description:

Domaine La Barroche Pure Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2022 is a perfumed, old-vine Grenache from the Rhône Valley, built on lifted red fruit and fine sandy-soil texture rather than sheer bulk. This half bottle is the ideal way to meet a wine of this pedigree without committing to a full 750mL on a weeknight.

Pure is drawn from century-old Grenache planted in the sandy soils of the appellation's northern reaches, and the fruit shows it: macerated raspberry, wild strawberry and blood orange, with dried thyme, crushed stone and a whisper of Provençal garrigue underneath. The 2022 growing season in the southern Rhône was hot and dry, and the wine carries that warmth as concentration and sweet-fruited depth rather than heaviness.

The palate is silky and long, with tannins that feel more like fine sand than grip, and enough acidity to keep the mid-palate lively. The finish is savoury and gently spiced, drifting back towards red fruit and dried herbs well after the glass is empty.

Serve it with slow-roasted lamb shoulder, duck with cherries, mushroom risotto, or a plate of charcuterie and hard sheep's cheese. A 375mL suits a table of two, or one person who would rather drink something serious than something safe.

Drinking beautifully from 2025 through to about 2032, though bear in mind a half bottle matures faster than a full one, so this format will show its secondary, more savoury side a few years ahead of the 750mL.