Rotem and Mounir Saouma
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Magis 2020
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Vineyard
From the first little bottling of white that Mounir did, he became more intent on buying and in fact planting vineyards to produce white Chateauenuf. This wine has been in the past fully from the heavily limestone Pierredon vineyard in Bedarrides, but additional plots in Courthezon have been planted.
Winemaking
Harvest took place in late September under clear skies. The whites are elegant with great length and nobility, their elegance and freshness enhanced by the careful élèvage.
Vintage
2020 is another excellent vintage for the Rhône Valley. Another dry spring was followed by a moderate summer, this time without the extreme heat spikes of 2019.
Tasting Note
Mystifying how this wine exhibits both suppleness and tension, and a piercing minerality that is unique among Châteauneuf whites we have experienced.
Color
White
Blend %
100% Rhone White Blend
Appellation
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Alcohol
15%
Reviews
Wine Spectator - October 5, 2023 "Powerful and sleek, this shows a glistening beam of yellow apple wrapped in stylish oak, with tremendous underlying concentration. Modern and very well-executed, with a saline streak, this hums with mineral energy and impressive structure on the seemingly never-ending finish. Still tightly wound, this should do well in the cellar. Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc."
Vinous - March 22, 2024 "The 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Magis is a total stunner, unwinding with crushed flowers, white peach, vanilla, yellow apple, lemon flesh and toasty elements. Offering a vertical sensation on the full-bodied palate, the 2020 packs outstanding intensity and focus. A deliciously saline note accompanies the complex finish."
Trade Materials
Other Wines by this Producer
Inopia Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Blanc
Côtes-du-Rhône
Rotem & Mounir’s whites are breathtaking. This village level wine is no exception, following the similar philosophy of exceptional terroir paired with high quality, low yielding fruit that remains undisturbed for an extended period of time after fermentation.
Inopia Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Rouge
Côtes-du-Rhône
The Saouma’s purchased a desolate plot of land in Orange in 2011. A minimal intervention approach combined with the image of the original barren land inspired the name of the wine, INOPIA, which translates to “made from nothing” in Latin.
Amphorae Collection
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Every year Mounir will select several crus to age in Amphorae, where they will remain untouched for around a year, with no input. Then a gentle pressing and bottling. These wines transmit the characteristics of their terroir in a pure, unvarnished manner. Not normal wines, but then again nothing Mounir Saouma does is normal .
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Omnia
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Omnia, Latin for "all," is a wine that attempts to encompass the full diversity of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, both in its terroir and vinification. Fruit comes from vineyards in all 5 of the Chateauneuf communes (Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Courthezon, Sorgues, Bedarrides and Orange) and aged in foudre, cement and 500 liter barrels.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Arioso
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
From his original 5 acres in Pignan, Mounir has one plot, of 100% Grenache planted in the 1930s, which yields naturally at a miniscule 1 ton per acre. From these vines he produces Arioso, a Chateauneuf of astounding depth and finesse.
