It’s not common to make a mental association of the Papacy with high quality winemaking. Yet, in the world of French Cotes du Rhone wines, you just can’t get away from the iconic Chateauneuf du Pape region. It’s also not common to be the first in most things, which the Chateauneuf du Pape region achieved when the very first French wine appellation from an estate called Clos des Papes (we’ll talk more about this in a bit) was recognized back in the 1930s.

If It’s Good Enough for the Papacy, It’s Good Enough for Me

Chateauneuf du Pape (also known as CdP) is one of the most famous and established winemaking regions in France that sits in the Southern Rhone Valley, and is home to over three hundred wine makers. The name Chateauneuf du Pape loosely translates from French to mean “the Pope’s new castle”. As its name suggests, this region of Avignon, France was the new home ground of the seven wine-loving popes from the period of the Avignon Papacy, starting with Pope Clement V in the year 1309.  

The CdP region is distinguished by its largely Grenache-based wines, which comes from vineyards that are made up of almost 75% of the Grenache grape varietal.  The region uses a wide variety of up to eighteen types of grapes in its wine production, which predominantly include Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah.

Paul Vincent Avril.

Chateauneuf du Pape was in fact recognized as the first Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wine in France in 1936, and today we turn to the estate that got the ball rolling – the Clos des Papes estate. This domaine was founded in 1896 by Paul Avril, who was one of the founding fathers of the iconic Chateauneuf Du Pape appellation. The estate has been managed by successive generations of the Avril family, and today Paul Vincent Avril (who had trained at Ch. Mouton Rothschild) takes the helm at the Clos des Papes domaine.

Under Paul Vincent Avril, who can be considered to be a modern traditionalist, grapes are destemmed, harvested with low yields and are not filtered, and at the same time refuses to use new oak (so as to minimise oak influence, allowing the fruit to showcase its full purity).

The Clos de Papes estate. "Clos" referring to an estate that is enclosed.

The 35 hectare estate is spread over 24 parcels, with 31 hectares used for reds, and 4 hectares of cooler terroir used for the estate's white wine - a rarity in the CdP commune. The estate can be characterised by rocky soils, with also sand, limestone and gravel. On average the vines of Clos des Papes are 50 years of age.

Ultimately, the estate prides itself on the quality of its wine vintages. Paul Vincent Avril has no doubt carried on the family winemaking tradition of maintaining a high standard of quality and controlling the lower yields that come from the Clos des Papes domaine.

Garrigue and the Mistral Wind of the Rhone Valley

Among the nineteen official crus of the Rhone Valley, Chateauneuf du Pape is arguably the most renown and well-established. One of the qualities that makes the Southern Rhone valley distinct is its warmer and more “mediterranean” in climate than its Northern counterpart. The longer summers and less chilly winters in this region and are also idiosyncratically prone to the effects of the strong Mistral Wind, a cold and unforgiving wind carried from the Northern seas. While an exceptionally strong wind could at times be a torment to the structural integrity of the grape vines, it also brings its chill and de-humidifying properties with it, keeping the climate cool and dry while blowing away any clouds that may be obstructing sunshine from the vines.

Southern Rhone wines, including CdP wines, also have a distinct note of garrigue, giving herbaceous notes and hints of smokiness. The garrigue quality of Cotes du Rhone wine is emblematic of the region’s terroir that arises from the aromatic plants and herbs that also grow within the region.

Wine Review: Clos des Papes Chateauneuf Du Pape Rouge 2020

The vintage we have here from the Clos des Papes estate is their Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2020. This is a blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and the remaining 5% is a mix of other grape varietals, aged in wine casks for 12 to 15 months.  

With that said, let’s get down to the good stuff!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Violet

Aroma: Nice vibrance of raspberries and blueberries, encased in very aromatic smoky tobacco leaves. It leans earthier with a good richness, and altogether rather aromatic.

Taste: Good richness, medium to full bodied. Bramble mixed in with some browned leaves, it’s rather vibrant and buoyant, rounded and cohesive too. There’s a slight spiciness to it with a moderate depth.

Finish: The spiciness persists. More tobacco leaves come through, along with some cloves and a light touch of red cherries.

My Thoughts

Altogether a pretty solid showing - it’s very well rounded and supple, with good integration. It’s fuller on the body with moderate richness and complexity, which is always a big plus. That said, I do wish for the body to express more richness and depth. But all said, it definitely punches above its weight!

Till next time, happy sipping!

@ChopstickPride