Southern Rhone
Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Click to view: Map of Chateaunuf du Pape.

This is probably one of the most famous Rhone wine regions to the hearts of Asian wine lovers. In terms of size, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the largest and most important appellation in the southern Rhone. There are over 300 hectares of vineyards and over 80 growers and more wine is produced in Châteauneuf than the whole of the northern Rhone put together. The vineyards are bounded to the west by the Rhone and to the east by the A7 autoroute. Its name means “new castle of the pope,” referring to the summer palace built in the area during the 1300s and used by the popes from Avignon.

In 1923, Châteauneuf-du-Pape became the first area to adopt strict rules for grape growing and winemaking. These rules were the basis for France’s national system, Appellation d’Origine Controlee, which was implemented in 1936. Châteauneuf-du-Pape AC permits thirteen red and white grapes; it’s quite unusual for a French AC to have so many varieties. Grenache, the dominant variety in the area, exists in both a red (Grenache Noir) and white (Grenache Blanc) form.

Other red varieties include Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Muscardine, Syrah, Terret Noir, and Vaccarèse. Permitted white varieties are Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardan, Roussanne, and Piquepoul (or Picpoule)-this last variety had a red version but it’s not widely grown.

Red wines make up approximately 97 percent of this appellation’s production; however, the white varieties may be used in red wines, mainly to soften some of the bigger, bolder wines.

The area’s stony soil retains the day’s heat into the evening hours, which allows the grapes to ripen to their fullest. Fully ripened grapes have a high sugar content that can convert into higher alcohol levels.

Wine Styles:
Reds: Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s red wines are traditionally big, rich, and full-bodied with spicy, raspberry flavors. They’re capable of aging for 5 to 20 years.

Whites: The white wines are usually crisp with flavors that hint of peaches, pears, melons, and, sometimes, licorice. Wines with the papal coat of arms embossed on the bottle above the label indicate that they are estate bottled.

Grape(s):
Major known grape varietals include:

From left to right: Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvedre, Syrah, Clairette, and Roussanne.

Soils:
The vineyards are planted on mainly sandy and gravely soil with a subsoil of red clay. The site is dominated by its big round stones.

From left to right: Cobble, Sand, and Round Stones.

Weather Conditions:
Mediterranean climate dominated by the mistral, a strong, cold wind from the north, which can last for several days. Very dry wine region, the driest of the Rhone area. The vineyards are filled with big round stones. During the days these stones absorb the heat to be radiated to the vines during the colder nights.

From left to right: Dry Summers, and Mediterranean.

Best Producers:
Beaucastel
Beaurenard (Cuvée Boisrenard)
Henri Bonneau
Benoit (La Truffière)
Bosquet des Papes (Chantemerle & Cuvée Grenache)
Les Cailloux
Chapoutier (Barbe Rac)
Clos du Mont-Olivet
Clos des Papes
Font de Michelle (Cuvée Etienne Gonnet)
La Gardine
La Janesse (Chaupin & Vieilles Vignes)
Marcoux
La Mordorée (Cuvee de la Reine de Bois)
La Nerthe (Cuvée des Cadettes)
Pegau
Rayas
Roger Sabon
Vaudieu (Cuvée Préférence)
Le Vieux Donjon
Vieux Télégraphe

Dependable Producers:
Clos St. Michel
Font de Michelle
Raymond Usseglio
Chapoutier (La Bernardine)
Guigal
Jaboulet (Les Cèdres)
Senechaux
Tardieu-Laurent
Vaudieu
Further Reading:
Chateauneuf
International Herald Tribune
Vins Rhone
Wikipedia