In the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where the ancient ruins of the Popes’ summer residence overlook an endless expanse of white pebbles, La Tiare du Pape by Maison Bouachon is born. A unique terroir characterised by the famous “galets roulés”, large river-smoothed stones that act as natural heat accumulators. They absorb warmth during the day and release it to the vines during the night, allowing the grapes to reach perfect ripeness. The backbone of this cuvée is Grenache, present at 60% and coming from vines up to 70 years old that provide body and warmth. Then comes Syrah (30%), bringing colour and spicy notes, and Mourvèdre (7%), contributing structure and longevity. The final touch comes from a small 3% of ancient and rare grape varieties such as Counoise, Terret Noir, Muscardin and Vaccarèse, which work like pepper in a gourmet recipe: just a few grams are enough to completely change the profile of the dish. After a strictly manual harvest and a berry-by-berry selection, the grapes are destemmed and vinified separately in temperature-controlled tanks. Once fermentation is complete, the wine rests for about 12 months in a mix of oak barrels and large wooden casks, before finishing its ageing in bottle in the quiet cellars of the Maison. In the glass, it reveals a wine with a deep ruby red colour and lively violet reflections. On the nose, a triumph of cooked stone fruit, cherry and small red berries appears. On the palate, a menthol freshness runs through the wine, balancing notes of ripe plum, cocoa, tobacco and sweet spices. The tannins are present, a sign of great structure, yet so well integrated that they feel silky. This is also a red that does not fear time. Thanks to its powerful structure and well-balanced acidity, it can evolve beautifully in the cellar over the next 10–15 years, developing even more fascinating earthy and woodland notes.