Pierre Usseglio
About Pierre Usseglio
A touch of Italy deep in the heart of Southern France, Francis Usseglio founded what we now know as Domaine Pierre Usseglio in 1948 having moved to the Rhône from his native Italy in 1931.
It is his son Pierre who gave his name to the current estate, as Francis’ other son Raymond founded his own Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape label upon their father’s death – the addition of the brothers’ first names to their respective Domaines certainly aids in the avoidance of confusion.
Viniculture
24 hectares spread across 17 different parcels of Châteauneuf-du-Pape constitute the extensive holdings of Domaine Pierre Usseglio, and they are amongst the very greatest in the Southern Rhône. Grenache remains the undisputed focus of the Usseglios, with up to 80% of their entire vineyards planted with the varietal. True masters of the varietal, their two prestige cuvées (Réserve des Deux Frères and Cuvée de mon Aïeul) are pure Grenache expressions.
Cuvée de mon Aïeul is a sensational wine and the stuff of dreams for those with a love for powerfully classic and complex Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Sourced from vines with an average age of 95 years and extremely low yielding, it was originally blended with a dash of 5% Syrah in the late 1990s. Quickly doing away with this to create a pure Grenache cuvée, brothers Jean-Pierre and Thierry confined the vineyards from which the fruit for this wine could be sourced to three specific plots.
Their most exceptional wine, Châteauneuf du Pape "Not For You!" is a cuvée sourced entirely from vines over a century old in the lieu-dit of Les Grandes Serres. A mythical wine made from pure Grenache, this wine is a unicorn that has only been released once in history, with a mere 300 bottles produced.
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (JD) | HK$1,745.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (94)Mostly Grenache yet with 15% each of Syrah and Mourvèdre, with 10% Cinsault, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape boasts a vivid purple hue as well as a complex bouquet of red, blue, and black fruits as well as notes of flowers, spice, and peppery garrigue. It actually reminds me of the Cuvée Mon Aïeul with its ripe yet elegant profile. Full-bodied, balanced, and lengthy, it’s going to offer loads of pleasure over the coming 10-15 years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 93-96 (VN) | HK$2,910.00 | |||||
Vinous (93-96)Saturated ruby. Explosive aromas of blackberry, cherry and licorice, along with an intense floral note. Impressively fleshy and mouthfilling, with dense, sweet red and dark berry flavors, a subtle garrigue quality and supple tannins. Lush, creamy and extremely long on the finish, with a dominant flavor of ripe blackcurrant. |
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Rhone | 1 | 99 (WA) | HK$8,940.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is just now starting to shed a tiny amount of its abundant baby fat that's been front and center since release. Still, it pulls no punches in its thrilling aromas and flavors of kirsch liqueur, roasted garrigue, black raspberries, incense, cured meats and licorice, and it is about as quintessential Grenache as you can find. Thrillingly concentrated, intense, perfumed and layered with incredible balance, this full-bodied beauty should hit its peak in another 2-3 years and keep for at least a decade after that. |
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Rhone | 1 | 98+ (WA) | HK$7,365.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98+)The Usseglio’s consider the 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul to be their greatest to date. I’ve done numerous tastings with the 2010 and 2007 side by side, and more times than not, I think the 2007 is the better wine. Time will tell though, and both are sensational wines that readers should have in their cellars. The inky colored 2010 is 100% Grenache fermented with 30% stems and aged in a combination of older barrels and foudre. More focused and precise than the '07 (and even darker in color), yet still with massive concentration and depth, it offers deep, rich notes of blackberries, cassis, ground herbs, pepper and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, thick and layered on the palate, it never puts a foot wrong, has fabulous purity and a blockbuster finish. It needs 3-4 years of cellaring, but will have 20-25 years of longevity. |
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Rhone | 2 | 100 (JD) | HK$3,945.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)Getting more than one exclamation in the notes, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de Mon Aïeul is a deep, rich yet vibrant red that offers a kaleidoscope of kirsch liqueur, garrigue, crushed flowers, Asian spices, and cured meats. It's more opulent and sexier than the 2010, fresher and purer than the 2007, has deep, full-bodied aromas and flavors, and a huge finish. It's a sensational, heavenly Châteauneuf-du-Pape that tops out my scale. This cuvée is 100% Grenache that was not destemmed and was aged in 20% demi-muids and the balance in concrete tanks. |
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Rhone | 1 | 97.0 | HK$3,905.00 | |||||
Domaine Pierre Usseglio was founded way back in 1948 by Francis Usseglio. His son Pierre took over in 1960. Today this estate is managed by Pierre’s two children Jean-Pierre Usseglio and Thierry Usseglio. Domaine Pierre Usseglio owns 24 hectares of vineyards over 17 different, quite small, parcels in some of the best Châteauneuf du Pape vineyards.
More Info
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Rhone | 1 | 94 (VN) | HK$3,338.00 | |||||
Vinous (94)Deep, glistening ruby-red. A highly complex bouquet evokes red/blue fruit preserves, incense and exotic spices, and floral and smoky mineral nuances emerge as the wine opens up. Stains the palate with finely etched, spice-laced raspberry, boysenberry and candied lavender flavors supported by a core of juicy acidity. Shows impressive depth as well as energy and finishes spicy and extremely long, leaving repeating floral and red fruit notes behind. |
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Rhone | 1 | 98+ (JD) | HK$3,755.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (98+)One of the top handful of wines in the vintage, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache, from the different terroirs (one sand, one clay, and one limestone) that was 50% destemmed and aged all in older demi-muids. Reminding me of the 2007 with its incredible perfume of ripe black raspberries, strawberries, flowery incense, peppery and Provençal garrigue, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, expansive texture, gorgeous tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. A wine of incredibly purity, precision, and elegance, yet also with power and opulence, this sensational effort is in need of 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades. |
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Rhone | 20 | 96-98 (JD) | HK$3,905.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache (from three terroirs) that was not destemmed and is still resting all in used demi-muids. Incredible aromatics of blackberries, ground pepper, toasted spice, raspberries, and flowers all emerge from this deep, full-bodied, yet wonderfully elegant barrel sample that makes the most of this great vintage. It’s going to drink brilliantly for 15-20 years with no issues, and I’d certainly put this up with the top handful of wines in the vintage. |
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Rhone | 1 | 99 (WA) | HK$15,210.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)The 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres elicits “wows”. Aged 60% in neutral wood foudres and 40% in one, two, and three-year old Burgundy barrels, this 2001, which tips the scales at an awesome 16.2% natural alcohol, boasts an inky/purple color along with a sensationally pure bouquet of blackberries, graphite, acacia flowers, licorice, and sweet kirsch liqueur. Unctuously textured and full-bodied, with high tannin as well as a closed personality, this prodigious yet fabulous Chateauneuf du Pape is a potential legend in the making. It requires 3-5 years of cellaring, and should keep for two decades. The texture, purity, and magnificent concentration suggest tiny yields, old vines, and non-interventionalistic winemaking. By the way, this wine represents a selection of the finest lots in the cellar as the sources are the same as for the Cuvee de Mon Aieul, although a large component of Deux Freres is from the Usseglio holdings in the sector of Chateauneuf du Pape called La Crau. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2022+. |
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Rhone | 2 | 98 (WA) | HK$12,080.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (98)The limited cuvee 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres, which is aged 40% in tank and 60% in one-, two-, and three-year-old barrels as well as large demi-muids, is essentially the same as Mon Aieul, but additional press wine is added. This beefs the wine up to an even more extraordinarily concentrated character. This is another of the Chateauneuf du Papes of the vintage, a wine of remarkable length and prodigious levels of richness. It is no wimpy wine at 16.5% alcohol, but you would never know that from tasting it. Dense purple to the rim, with a huge nose of scorched earth, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, creme de cassis, roasted meat juices, and a hint of Provencal herbs interwoven with licorice and a touch of balsamic, it is voluptuously textured, with striking body, low acidity, and amazing concentration. This fabulous bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape should drink well for 20+ years. |
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Rhone | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$6,300.00 | |||||
Vinous (95)Bright violet color. Wildly complex scents of black raspberry, cherry compote, sassafras, allspice and licorice. Lush and palate-staining, with noteworthy intensity to its open-knit dark berry, spicecake and floral pastille flavors. Silky tannins come on late and meld smoothly with the deep, sappy fruit, which refuses to let go of the palate. I underestimated this powerful, vibrant wine last year. |
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Rhone | 1 | 100 (JD) | HK$5,815.00 | |||||
Jeb Dunnuck (100)While the 2020 will include a splash of Syrah, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Réserve Des Deux Frères is its normal 100% Grenache and is a selection made in the cellar. In 2019, it ended up being roughly 30% new oak, and I think there were some stems included as well. It’s another magical wine from this estate, boasting a dense purple hue as well as a perfume of black raspberries, cassis, blueberry liqueur, spring flowers, toasted bread, and lavender. Full-bodied on the palate, with an incredible mouthfeel, riveting purity, and ultra-fine tannins, it’s unquestionably one of the all-time greats of this cuvée. Give bottles 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more. |