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As if that achievement isn’t impressive enough, out of a field of more than 800 wines from around the world, this white wine from Domaine du Grand Tinel was the highest-scoring bottle of them all.
Reviews of this Grenache blanc blend frequently mention the magician-like quality that these wines acquire under the direction of winemaker Philippe Cambie. For that reason alone, we could not wait to open this bottle.
Domaine du Grand Tinel represents the merging of two French wine families, their love and appreciation for each other, and their love of fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine. In fact, one could say that Domaine du Grand Tinel was generations in the making because current owner Christiane Establet’s family purchased part of the current vineyard plot all the way back in 1846, and co-owner Pierre Eliee Jeune’s family entered the wine business in 1906 via his father’s investment in Pied Redon, a Domaine in Southern Rhone.
Pierre’s father, Lucien Jeune, also happens to have been the mayor of Chateaunuef-du-Pape for 25 years.
When Christiane and Pierre were married in 1972, the two families merged, and with them merged their respective wine properties and legacy wine businesses. Today, their acclaimed property is planted to 182 acres (74 hectares) of vines, many of which are nearly 100-year-old Grenache plantings.
After nurturing the winery for the last fifty years, Christiane and Pierre have begun banding over the reins to their children Christophe, Béatrice, and Isabelle.
As a further nod to the future of the brand, in 2020, Domaine du Grand Tinel achieved the ‘Haute Valeur Environnementale‘ certification. While the HVE certification does not require full organic farming methods, it does reward biodiversity efforts (planting trees and bushes that attract pollinators, water management, etc.), and the reduction of pesticide use.
Winemaker Phillippe Cambie became Grand Tinel’s consulting winemaker in 2000 and continued developing the domaine’s wines until his death in 2021. Cambie was famous within Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and as one of the region’s most renowned oenologists, he was in high demand. One glance at the list of wineries that Cambie influenced reveals a who’s who of wine houses. And why wouldn’t anyone and everyone want to benefit from Cambie’s insights? An astonishing fifteen bottles of his wines received perfect 100-point scores.
Cambie’s services were also sought well beyond the Rhone Valley, and he was a huge fan of US winemakers working with his beloved Chateauneuf-du-Pape varieties. To that end, in 2018, he collaborated with trailblazing Sonoma grape grower and winemaker Phil Coturri on a Grenache-based project called A Deux Tetes.
A few of these wines are still available to purchase through Coturri’s project, Winery Sixteen 600.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is famous for its red wines, but what many wine drinkers outside of France may not know is that this premium wine producing region also produces outstanding white wines. While the AOC’s white wine output is small, Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces just 7% blanc wines; critics will tell you that these harder-to-find wines consistently punch above their weight.
These white wines are crafted using a combination of the six permitted white grapes varieties within the region. They include: Roussanne, Grenache blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Picardan. Many of these wines rely on Grenache blanc as the foundation grape in the blend, followed by an ample amount of Roussanne. This duo imbues the white wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape with that slightly weighty mouthfeel and fruit-forward profile that has become the region’s calling card.
France
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
75% Grenache blanc, 10% Roussanne, 8%, Bourboulene, and 7% Clairette
13.5
49–55°F / 9–12°C
Burgundy
Not Necessary
Now to 2026
The 2018 Domaine du Grand Tinel, Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, a blend of 75% Grenache blanc, 10% Roussanne, 8%, Bourboulene, and 7% Clairette is downright enchanting. Some white wines are straight-forward and announce how they will present in the glass from the moment you open the bottle, and others show unexpected complexity. This Grenache Blanc blend is the latter.
In the glass, the wine’s aromas flex their muscles. We picked up lime, tropical melon, a soft butterscotch with a hint of butter, and oak – that 35% new oak aging really comes through here. On the palate, this wine is ripe with fleshy melon fruit, pear, and lemon. The butteriness on the finish is just sublime. As we mentioned above, there is a fair amount of complexity here: the wine has a noticeable body to it, but there is also a delicateness to the palate.
We both loved this wine. This bottle really drives home the idea that the white wines from this Southern Rhone region deserve more attention than they receive. The next time you want to reach for one of France’s more popular whites like Burgundy or Chablis, give one of these bottles a try instead.
