Clos Saint-Jean La Combe des Fous Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023

Clos Saint-Jean is more than just one of the Rhône’s most prized estates – it’s one of the finest in the world, year after year. We’re always thrilled to try another one of their impeccable wines, and this 2023 La Combe des Fous Châteauneuf-du-Pape lives up to every drop of anticipation. With 97 points and only a handful of cases to go around, this is wildly limited, and one of the finest Northern Rhône finds you’ll come across these days! Did we mention free shipping on 2?

This historic property helped change Châteauneuf-du-Pape forever when they began bottling estate wines over a century ago, before the region of Châteauneuf-du-Pape officially existed. Known for their modern, clean, and voluptuous style – Clos Saint-Jean works wonders with Grenache, Syrah, and other Rhône varieties – and their old-vine plots are the envy of many CdP stalwarts.

Coming from Clos Saint-Jean’s most renowned site, La Combe des Fous (“the Valley of the Madmen”), this wine has piles of top critics singing its praises: "Finesse and elegance paired with remarkable power and density." "Lush, rich, and intense…almost too much of a good thing." "Voluptuous, plush, decadent." Only 380 cases produced, with just 54 of those reaching the U.S. market, and much fewer coming over to First Bottle HQ… this one is a zinger you must go after.

It’s a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and the rest Cinsault and Vaccarèse, all from the prized Le Crau lieu-dit, the beating heart of the appellation's grand cru-equivalent plateau. Each variety is fermented separately in temperature-controlled concrete, with a lengthy 35-day vatting period for maximum extraction and complexity, before spending 12 months in a blend of French barriques and demi-muids. This is winemaking of the highest order, and the 2023 vintage is being called one of the finest La Combe des Fous ever produced.

In the glass… oh me, oh my – it opens heady and intoxicating, with a luminous, perfumed rush of red cherry compote, fresh violets, black raspberries, and roasted lavender. Then come tons of Provençal spice… grilled anise, even more garrigue-like dried herbs, and a bit of gorgeous iron-tinged minerality that threads through everything. The wine glides across every pore of your mouth with a slow-spreading pomegranate molasses character, leading to ripe, perfectly sculpted tannins and an everlasting finish. Big, brooding, and not for the shy! But even better with every moment in your decanter, and decades to come in your cellar. It simply doesn’t get more delectable than this… now, go!

FOOD PAIRINGS: Leftover brisket formed into hunky, mouthwatering sandwiches on fluffy brioche buns and cool, crunchy slaw. There’s no other way.