Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils : La Part des Anges 2018

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for La Part des Anges 2018 from Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils

Tasting

Colour

The colour is an intense garnet, a sign of fine maturity and of the dominance of Mourvèdre in the blend.

Nose

The nose is expressive and intense, with beautiful ripe black fruit aromas, accompanied by notes of mocha, cedar and delicate spice, together with subtle touches of vanilla from the ageing.

Palate

The attack is velvety, carried by fine, silky tannins, free of any astringency thanks to perfectly integrated oak. A lovely freshness emerges on the mid-palate, before a long finish with complex spicy aromas of fresh leather, cardamom and cigar, lifted by gentle touches of caramel inherited from time spent in new barrels.

Food and Wine Pairing

This wine is ideally suited to red meats and game, as well as mushroom dishes and mature cheeses. It pairs beautifully with, for example, confit lamb, redcurrant jelly and a compote of heritage vegetables.

Serving and Cellaring

We recommend serving La Part des Anges 2018 at a temperature between 16 and 18 °C. Decanting is advised to fully enjoy its aromas when drinking it young. Its ageing potential is estimated at more than 20 years.

A Mourvèdre-Dominant Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils

The Estate

Founded in 1963 by Raymond Usseglio in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, in the southern Rhône Valley, Domaine Raymond Usseglio & Fils is now run by Stéphane Usseglio, the third generation of the family. The estate now extends over 55 hectares spread across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône, Lirac and Vin de France, all farmed entirely organically and biodynamically, and certified Demeter and Biodyvin. The domaine champions freedom of expression and a quest for terroir purity, values that underpin its entire range.

The Vineyard

The La Part des Anges cuvée comes from approximately 50-year-old vines in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, farmed organically and biodynamically. A significant share of these plots lies in the La Crau sector, renowned for its thick deposits of rounded pebbles over a clay-sand subsoil, which promote even ripening and fine concentration in the grapes.

The Vintage

The 2018 vintage in Châteauneuf-du-Pape is considered a year of fine maturity, marked by warm but not excessive conditions, which produced grapes that were both concentrated and balanced. This year ranks among the estate's benchmark vintages.

Vinification and Ageing

La Part des Anges 2018 benefits from full barrel vinification, with fermentation taking place directly in barrel to allow early contact with the oak and a gentle extraction of tannins. Ageing then continues in new demi-muids, lending a fine structure and a harmonious integration of oak, without marking the wine excessively with woody notes.

Grape Varieties

The blend of La Part des Anges 2018 brings together Mourvèdre, Grenache Noir and Syrah, an atypical composition for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where Grenache usually dominates.