Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023

55 % Grenache, 30 % Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and 5% Cinsaut, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarese, aged in large foudres.

'The 2023 Chateauneuf du Pape from Clos des Papes is exquisite, wafting from the glass with a captivating bouquet of sweet red berries, iris, dark cherries, menthol, blood orange and flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, layered and textured, it’s denser than usual, with a more pronounced structure and a lovely, fleshy core of fruit. Concluding with an ethereal, saline and weightless finish, this is a strong candidate for wine of the vintage—one that should evolve with grace over the coming years to attain a likely perfect score. Drink 2025-2050.' 99+ points, Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, October 2025.

'Clos des Papes stands as a benchmark estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. It was founded under its current name in 1896 by Paul Avril and is today directed by Paul-Vincent Avril. Rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake, the domaine has refined traditional practices with quiet rigor and unwavering fidelity to terroir.

The estate farms around 40 hectares—including three hectares of white varieties—divided into more than 30 parcels across diverse soils (sand, clay-limestone, galets roulés). All 13 permitted grape varieties are cultivated organically, with minimal treatments. Yields are kept deliberately low (around 25 hectoliters per hectare) to preserve concentration and balance in warm vintages. Harvest is entirely manual, with parcel-specific timing; whites are picked early for freshness, while reds are picked at full maturity but never overripe. Grapes arrive intact, without mechanical intervention.

In the cellar, fermentations rely exclusively on indigenous yeasts. Reds are 100% destemmed—a practice established fully in 1991—and vinified by parcel or co-fermented, depending on the year. No enzymes, acidification or aggressive extractions are employed; macerations are long and gentle, with restrained remontage and pigeage. Élevage lasts 15–18 months in large, neutral foudres, some over a century old, with no new oak and minimal fining or filtration. The reds emphasize aromatic clarity, ripe but fine tannins, vivid fruit and long aging potential.

White wine, historically overlooked, is now increasingly appreciated. All six permitted white varieties are co-fermented in stainless steel at low temperatures without malolactic fermentation, then aged five to six months on the fine lees without bâtonnage. It combines texture with tension, marked by fennel, citrus blossom, stone fruit and chalky salinity and ages well for 5–10 years.

Production focuses on two wines only—a red and a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape—with no special cuvées. The red typically blends 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah and 5% other varieties; Mourvèdre’s role has grown, especially in warm vintages, for its acidity retention and structural freshness.

Clos des Papes embodies traditionalism adapted to modern challenges: adjustments in picking dates, variety proportions and selection practices address climate change, but there is no new oak, over-ripeness or extraction excess. Paul-Vincent Avril’s methodical approach aims not to reinvent the appellation but to render its nuances with precision and consistency year after year.' Yohan Castaing, The Wine Advocate, October 2025.

Clos des Papes is one of the great established names of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with the family living in the village for centuries and also being among the people who created the appellation for the village, the first in France to do so. Currently run by Paul-Vincent Avril who is also the winemaker, he attended wine school in Burgundy in the 1980’s, and after also working abroad including a stint at Mount Mary with Dr John Middleton, he returned home to work with his father in 1988. Since then he has succeeded to make what many regard as the best single example of the appellation producing just one red wine and one white wine. No special cuvees are produced and no grapes bought and no grapes or must are sold, simply 2 outstanding wines from both colours both containing all the varieties that the appellation approves. Clos des Papes is not only regarded as the benchmark producer of the appellation but is also frequently recognised as being one of the leading estates of all France.

The property has today 40 ha, of which 3 ha is planted to white varieties with 30 different parcels spread around the village. A parcel is nearby the pope's castle and has been surrounded by walls (clos). From here came the name of the domain. For the red Chateauneuf, Clos des Papes has planted about 65% Grenache, 20% of Mourvedre, 10% Syrah with about 5% being a mix of all the other permitted varieties. Clos des Papes is one of the few estates to use all permitted varieties for both red and white Chateauneuf. They are well-known for producing one of the most authentic and long-lived examples of the appellation having started estate bottling in 1896. The white Chateauneuf-du-Pape also ages extremely well providing great drinking pleasure for 20 years or more. It is made from almost equal percentages of all the six permitted white varieties which are co-fermented in two separate ferments, one for early ripening varieties and the second for the late ripening varieties. Yields are kept very low, frequently about a half or a third of what the appellation permits. These wines are very limited and always in high demand.