Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2020
Clos des Papes
Paul-Vincent Avril's Clos des Papes is routinely among the top wines of the southern Rhône, and the 2020 vintage is a benchmark. The blend of all thirteen permitted varieties creates a wine where no single grape dominates — the vanishing point made literal. Built for decades of cellaring but already captivating.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Dark berry fruit and crushed violets lead, with garrigue herbs and a subtle gamey quality adding savory depth. There is a whisper of cedar and warm stone beneath the fruit.
Palate
Concentrated yet remarkably refined. Blackcurrant and cherry dominate the attack, supported by fine-grained tannins and a mid-palate surge of mint and toasted spice. The texture is almost liquid silk — dense without heaviness.
Finish
Very long, with cherry and violet persisting alongside a gentle cedar and mineral fade. The tannins resolve beautifully, leaving the palate clean and wanting more.
- Varietal
- Grenache (dominant)
- Blend
- Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Counoise, Vaccarèse, and other traditional varieties
- Vineyards
- Multiple parcels across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, galets roulés soils
- Alcohol
- 14.6%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Braised lamb shoulder with herbes de Provence
Produced by the Avril family from vineyards scattered across the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, this 2020 bottling blends all thirteen permitted grape varieties into a single cuvée that has defined the estate's philosophy for four generations.
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