Founded in 1896, this domain is one of the best in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. This is due in large part to the vision of the late Paul Avril and even more emphatically of his son Vincent, the current winemaker.
Vincent is in love with his grounds. His education in Burgundy instilled in him this love. The elegance and finesse in his wines must also have something to do with this. Combining modernism and tradition, he creates a wine that seems to combine the best of Burgundy with the regional characteristics of Châteauneuf. His wines are aged in large casks and he avoids new wood to create a wine with breathtakingly complex aromas and a smooth texture.
The grape composition is always the same with a main proportion of Grenache supplemented with Mourvèdre and Syrah. This gives a wine with the overwhelming perfume, color and weight of a Grand Cru from Burgundy in combination with great concentration, black fruit and the creamy texture you expect from a Southern Rhone.
The 2012 vintage, which we were able to buy just a little more, in combination with what 2011 is indeed one of the most distinguished wines we could taste and can be called magical in one word. Qualitatively, it is reminiscent of 2009 but it focuses more on minerality, aroma and elegance than pure power, characteristics that are perfect for Clos des Papes. The alcohol content is also slightly lower, which is a pleasant side effect when you have opened a bottle and can't stop drinking it further.
Every year Vincent brings an older vintage to the market and this year it is the almost mythical wine from 2007. One of the very best Clos des Papes ever, from which the patient enthusiast can expect a lot of beauty in his future glass.
website: Domaine Clos des Papes