2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée de Mon Aïeul, Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils, Rhône

This first class domaine is now run by Pierre Usseglio's sons Jean-Pierre and Thierry. It has recently expanded with the purchase of seven hectares of vines that Jean-Pierre had previously worked en metayage. The vineyards are split into three separate plots of vineyards in the La Crau, Serres and Le Bedine subzones of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The vineyards are old with an average age of 80 years and are planted with Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne.

The largest and most important appellation in the southern Rhône, with more than 3,200 hectares of vineyards and over 80 growers, Châteauneuf-du-Pape produces more wine than the whole of the northern Rhône combined. The gloriously rich red wines, redolent of the heat and herbs of the south, are enhanced by the complexity which comes from blending several of the 14 permitted grape varieties including Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah.