THE PRODUCER
Two generations of Avrils studied winemaking in Burgundy and current incumbent
generation Vincent Avril worked at Mount Mary in Australia’s Yarra Valley. Clos
des Papes is renowned for a beautifully elegant version of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

The family has been producing Chateauneuf-du-Pape since the 1600s and now farm
35 hectares biodynamically in the heart of the commune. Predominantly Grenache
with 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and of 5% of other varieties add a subtle spicing;
no new oak is used so the fruit shows all its purity and finesse.

They are highly regarded for their red wines but they also make an outstanding
Chateauneuf Blanc. Clos des Papes’ Chateauneuf Blanc blends equal proportions of
Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Picardin, Piquepoul and Roussanne and
the wines doesn’t go through malolactic fermentation, which makes this a fresher
version of the classic rich style of white Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and a wine of
real class. We offer both red and white wines from Clos des Papes.

THE WINE
The Chateauneuf is Clos des Papes’ flagship wine and produced from vines of
minimum 50 years of age. The blend is made up of around 65% Grenache, with 20%
Mourvedre, 10% Syrah, and 5% other varieties. Grapes are destemmed and the
different grape varieties are co-fermented. The wine then ages in old foudres
for 15 months. This is without a doubt fine Chateauneuf, the body is full and
generous, with layers of concentrated fruit, yet balanced by savoury complexity
and firm tannins. Wonderful wines.

INFORMATION
Type:Red
Vintage:2010Country:FranceRegion:Southern Rhone
Sub region:Chateauneuf du PapeGrape:100% GrenacheStyle:Rich and Intense
Sweetness:DryABV:15%Drinking window:2015 - 2040Size:750mlFood match:Lamb



CRITICS SCORES
We choose our wines based on a range of criteria(seehow we choose our wines)of
which critic scores is justone. Rather than simply highlight the best score to
promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided
by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do
not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more
weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores
like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a92/100average critic score or
better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a
high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we
offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the
market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and
representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide
to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add
individual critic scores to our website in the future.