2021 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

2021 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

2021 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 

96 Wine Spectator: “Super fresh style, with fennel, lime, kiwi, white peach and honeysuckle notes all breezing through in unison and carried by lacy acidity through a well-detailed finish. This is approachable now for its brightness, but has the inner purity and sneaky length to age nicely as well. Drink now through 2032. 1,000 cases made, 50 cases imported. (12/31/21)”

97 Jeb Dunnuck: I think even better, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is cut from the same cloth yet has a touch more richness. Honeyed lime, white grapefruit, crushed stone, and poached pear are just some of the nuances here, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a rich, concentrated mouthfeel, good acidity, and a great finish. It’s another sensational white from this estate to enjoy over the coming two decades or so.

Paul Avril (1873-1962) was one of the people behind the creation of the appellation.In 1896 he started to sell his wines with the name Clos des Papes.
Régis Avril (1901-1987) delivered wines to two presidents of France General de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou.Paul Avril (1937-2009) started working at the domain 1963 at first together with his father and later for many years with his son.Paul-Vincent Avril (1965 – ) attended as a young man wine school in Bourgondy and when he went back to the domain in 1988 he had visions about finesse and elegance and he still considers these qualities as most importent for a high class wine.

Today the property covers 32 ha. 3 ha. is with white varieties. 24 different parcels are spread around the town. One parcel is nearby the pope’s castle and has been surrounded by walls (clos). From here came the name of the domain.Since 2011 the vineyards are certified “agriculture biologique“Only one cuvée of white (10% of the production) and of red Chateauneuf du Pape are made.Since 1991 destalking has been total and since 1987 the total production has been bottled at the domain.
The secret behind the high quality is a low yield. In vintage 2007, 2008 and 2009 the yield has been 25, 17 and 19 hl/ha. The yield is minimized by green harvest and by repeated sorting of the grapes during harvest.Clos des Papes is not a place for experiments. The aim is constantly to make a wine of very high quality that meet the expectations from Paul Vincent Avril himself as well from his costumers around the world.
It’s a sign of quality to Avril if the wine is recognizable through the vintages.
80% of the production counting about 100.000 bottles is exported.
It’s not at all a problem for Avril to sell his wines even in times where the market suffers from crisis.