Domaine Albin Jacumin Chateauneuf-du-Pape A Aime 2019

We have been hooked on Domaine Albin Jacumin for years now. Not only are they one of our very favorite Chateanuef-du-Pape producers, but they’re also some of the BEST people around – and this 2019 top cuvee just adds to what makes these folks so spectacular! We urge every serious Rhone lover to add this flagship wine to their collection. At under $50, I know the savvy CDP lovers are joining me in adding this beauty to their stash....

This wine is a tribute to Albin’s grandfather “Aimé” – who had co-planted these two plots to all 13 traditionally allowed CdP varieties back in the 1930s. At an average age of over 80 years, these are some seriously old, amazingly gnarly vines that easily make up in flavor what they lack in total yields. The Jacumins are strictly traditional when it comes to their winemaking. After manual harvesting and sorting in the vineyards, everything is fermented in concrete, and aged in a combination of new and used vessels with careful blending (and lots of sampling!) throughout.

To put it simply, this flagship offering receives the royal treatment, and it’s evident in the glass. Jeb puts it succinctly with a 94-point review, marking Jacumin as “an estate savvy readers should keep a close eye on, as the quality from Albin Jacumin has been on an upward trajectory.” We are in full agreement on both counts, and that was before we shared a magical meal with Albin and his wife, Agnes, at their home (their living room window was perfectly situated beneath the old Chateauneuf-du-Pape ruin, with a moon rising behind, no less!).

Only 100 cases of this cuvee are bottled each year – a spicy, elegantly fragrant, and velvety wine that perfectly showcases the ripe red and black fruits, the roasted herbs, and the penetrating warmth of a great Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This is tremendous now, with a promise of a beautiful deepening of complexities over the next decade plus. At over 30% off and under $50, this is a bargain – a direct competitor with wines more than double this price!

PAIRING IDEAS: Albin and Agnes recommend a wild boar stew, and while I’m on board...wild boar can be tough to find. Go for this classic pork and beans cassoulet instead.