For all wine aficionados, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine that everyone should taste at least once in a lifetime.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine appellation crafted in the eponymous village in the Southern Rhône valley. It is regarded as the flagship of the Southern France wine region for its premium taste and quality. Whether you are a new or experienced wine lover, these Grenache-based red blends offer a taste of history, luxury and a unique experience.
Learn all about Châteauneuf-du-Pape, from brief history, taste, and blends to the best vintages and food pairings.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine and Meaning
Châteauneuf-du-Pape stands for “The Pope`s new castle” . The name is closely related to the historical event when Pope Clement V brought the papacy to the town of Avignon in the XIV century. Clement V and his successors highly cherished the Burgundy wines and played a great role in promoting viticulture in the surrounding area.
The small but exquisite vineyards around the village produced the best French wines that gained world-class popularity. If the road leads you to Southern France, this tiny village is well worth paying a visit. Located 20km from the city of Avignon, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a Middle Age village lying on hillside ruins from ancient Roman times. Magnificent views across the vineyards and beautiful historical tales are just a small part of what it has to offer.
If you are visiting South France, a wine expedition to the Châteauneuf-du-Pape definitely deserves a place in your travel itinerary.
What Is Special about Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine appellation (AOC) popular for the rich Grenache-based red wine blends. The wine region is home to 13 indigenous grape varieties that are used in making top-tier red and white blends.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines contain a higher amount of alcohol (14% ABV). The appellation standards allow just a hint of residual sugar to frim the wine structure. It has moderate acidity and you can barely taste any sweetness.
A fun fact about the Southern Rhône wine region is that most of their wines are blends of different grape varieties. The most planted grape is Grenache, accompanied by Syrah, Mourvèdre and Syrah. While you can find some single-varietal wines in the region, most are made of the triple grape blend, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. What`s special about these blends is that each grape variety complements the other, resulting in a sumptuous wine taste and appearance. For instance, Grenache is vibrant and full-flavoured but lacks pigment, but when blended with the robust dark colour of Mourvèdre and the fruit-forward taste of Syrah, the result is a rich and luscious red wine.
Main notes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
● Smell: Red wines have an intense, aromatic and complex aroma of ripe dark fruits, mushrooms and truffles. White wines have a delicate smell of white flowers blended with notes of apricot, pear and citrus fruits. Some whites are enriched with aromas of exotic fruits like mango or passion fruit.
● Taste: Red wines have a rich and complex taste of cinnamon, pepper and liquorice, blended with fruit flavours of blackcurrant, quince jam and cooked fruit. Oak and leather flavours are powerful and well-balanced, including smoke, vanilla, tobacco and toast. Intense and long-lasting. Whites are bountiful and rounded, with a complex blend of citrus fruits, white flowers and exotic fruits.
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation is worldwide famous for red wines which take up to 93% of the overall wine production, while only 7% belong to white wines.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Best Vintage
When it comes to the vintages in Southern Rhône, each year resembles the other. The French Riviera has a hot and dry climate and only under extreme weather conditions the grapes don`t reach full ripeness. The soils are a mix of sand and pebbles which is very good for the vines on the hot summer days as the pebbles absorb the hotness during the day and emit it to the vines during the night. The hot and dry Mediterranean climate is well balanced with the Mistral summer winds that protect the vineyards from extreme heat.
| Châteauneuf-du-Pape the Best Vintage Chart |
|---|
| 2011 Extraordinary yield, intense, dense, fruit-forward wines |
| 2015 Good yield, fruit-forward with less herbal notes and tart tannins. Great enjoyable wines. |
| 2016 Extraordinary yield, high-quality wines. |
| 2019 Generous yield, fruit-forward flavours and lower acidity. |
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Wine Price
With the size of planted vineyards slightly larger than 3,200 hectares, Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines come in a limited supply. Adding the refined winemaking techniques and high reputation the cheapest Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine costs $30 or more. The average price goes from $40 to $100 for a bottle of good quality wine. In the end, “life is too short to drink bad wine”.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape Food Pairing
Classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine is red and full-bodied, with complex taste and structure. Like the other Bordeaux wines, it pairs well with most red meats, wild boar, beef and lamb. The touch of Syrah in the wine makes it the perfect tablemate for tomato-based pasta, rich chilly meat dishes and beef bourguignon.
For all funky cheese lovers, Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine makes a perfect match with washed-rind cheeses like Pont l`Eveque, Affifelice and Epoisse.
For the best experience, try the French winter casserole with white beans, smoky bacon, garlic sausage and duck confit. Enjoy!
