Châteauneuf-du-Pape
An Epic Among Great Wines

A PRESTIGIOUS APPELLATION

Although connoisseurs appreciate the white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines too, the appellation's reputation is largely built on the red wines, due to the scale of their production. Ample, round, full, majestic, heady, full-bodied, robust, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is known for being a red wine that can assert itself with age. It is a wine for ageing that is among the greatest French crus. A fine example of the wine heritage of the southern Rhône Valley (left bank), they are a must have on the wine list of gastronomic restaurants, prized for their great aromatic richness.

Where is it located?

To the north of Avignon, the terroir of this prestigious appellation stretches across the Comtat Venaissin plain, in the communes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Orange, Courthézon, Bédarrides and Sorgues. Here everything contributes to making exceptional wines. With 3200 hectares, the vineyard is the largest appellation in the Rhône.

What is the climate and soil?

Overlooked by a tower of the former residence of the popes of Avignon, the mountain range lies on the left bank of the Rhône in a series of plateaus covered with rolled pebbles, which resist the dryness of the Mediterranean climate and the mistral wind. It is on this exceptional soil swept by the mistral that the vine draws its strength and gives the wine its character. Large pebbles cover the red clay soil and contribute to the quality of the vineyard by absorbing the sun's heat during the night and facilitating the flow of water.

SHALL WE TASTE ?

Appearance

Intense colour due to the concentration of the material. Ruby and brilliant in the young wines, the colour is adorned with orange nuances in the older vintages.

Nose

Powerful, fine and complex. Rich aromas of ripe fruit, truffle, mushroom and undergrowth dominate, accompanied by spicy and wild notes of Provencal garrigue.

Palate

Power and body! The aromas perceived by the retronasal passage confirm the spicy notes (liquorice, pepper, cinnamon), fruity (blackcurrant, fruit in brandy, quince paste, cooked fruit), wild and animal. They linger for a long time.

Serving Temp : 16-18°C

Ageing potential : 5 - 20 years

What should it be opened with?

Game, meat in sauce, stewed beef, peppered steak, hare, venison, wild mushroom risotto, cheeses (Roquefort, Brie de Melun), pan-fried mushrooms...

A LITTLE HISTORY

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard is the largest, oldest and most famous cru of the Côtes du Rhône. In the 14th century, the Popes settled in Avignon and the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape became the summer residence of the papacy. The precious nectar from these lands was then named Wine of the Pope, "Vin du Pape", a title that paved the way to the European courts!

Long a privileged product, the region's reputation was built up from the 18th century onwards, but it became more established in the last century, when in 1936 the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape became an AOC. The appellation owes much to a local winegrower, Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, who, noting that the established laws were not restrictive enough to ensure the quality of the wines, founded the Syndicat général des vignerons des Côtes du Rhône in 1929. A step which was to serve as an example for what would later lead to the law on the regime of controlled appellations and the setting up of a national committee. He was in a way the pioneer at the origin of the INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine) and one of the architects of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation creating the model that other regions would follow.

In this Rhône valley, Château de Beaucastel is a leading name within the appellation. A key Rhône estate since the middle of the 16th century, the Château's development was boosted by Jacques Perrin, who gave it its full lustre until 1978. Since then, his sons Jean-Pierre and François have carried on the immense work of this unforgettable man, preparing to hand it over to an equally promising fifth generation. The Perrin family strives to make wines where the grape is fully expressed. There are many others who also reflect admirably this exceptional terroir: Guigal, Domaine de la Janasse, Château de la Nerthe, Domaine de Grand Veneur, Paul Jourdan, Maison Paul Jaboulet Ainé, Xavier Vignon, Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe, Maison Brotte, Domaine Chante Cigale...