Domaine de la Charbonniere Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2020

Châteauneuf du Pape seems to be following Burgundy’s playbook as of late, with prices going bonkers and, in some cases, starting to price people out. The days of great $30 CDPs are now nothing but a faint memory.

However, there is still at least one top estate that remains both very much a small family affair and has continued to churn out wines of amazing dimension from their relatively modest means, and manages to do so at reasonable prices.

The Maret family originally bought the estate in 1912 and have been farming it themselves, by hand, generation after generation ever since. Michel Maret, the grandson of founder Eugene, has largely allowed the reins to finally pass to daughters Caroline and Veronique (though not if you ask them!)

For those in the know, the estate has long been firmly established with the wine press. Robert Parker, Jr., once penned: “This is one of the most well-run estates in Chateauneuf du Pape thanks to the meticulous and passionate efforts of proprietor Michel Maret.”

Amazingly, the estate seems to be in even better hands now. Once Michel handed the reins down to his daughters, they promptly turned out a CDP that wound up at number 30 on Wine Spectator’s 2019 Top 100 Wines of the Year list.