Châteauneuf du Pape: Grape variety and tasting guide

An emblematic appellation of the southern Côtes du Rhône, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape are a delight for lovers of rich, powerful wines. Today we present you with this little tasting guide that will answer your question: How to taste a great Châteauneuf du Pape wine?

> Ordering great Châteauneuf du Pape wines

Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines

The precursors of AOC

Avant-garde and conquerors, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape winegrowers were behind the creation of AOCs in France, and it was on May 15, 1936 that the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape were awarded France's first AOC viticole.

A wide variety of grape varieties

Châteauneuf-du-Pape red grape varieties :

• Silver brown Light in color, it brings floral notes and a low alcohol content to wines.
• Cinsaut This grape variety is interesting for "thirst-quenching" wines. It is also used in blends for its fruitiness and roundness.
• Counoise Counoise: purple in color, Counoise is often blended with other grape varieties to bring out dark fruit and chocolate aromas.
• Grenache noir Grenache is an important grape variety in Châteauneuf, producing powerful, heady wines with aromas of black fruit and blackcurrant.
• Mourvèdre Mourvèdre: offering low yields, Mourvèdre offers notes of leather, black fruit and a fresh finish. It has the particularity of providing low yields.
• Muscardin Always blended, it produces very fresh, fruity wines.
• Piquepoul noir A very confidential grape variety in reds, it is blended with other grape varieties to bring balance and roundness to the wine.
• Syrah Syrah: a great classic in the Rhône Valley, Syrah produces wines that are peppery, fruity and fairly supple.
• Terret black Also present in blends. It produces taut, dry, fruity wines.

White grape varieties of Châteauneuf-du-Pape :

• Bourboulenc A grape variety that is often blended, it adds a nice bitterness to wines.
• Clairette Clairette: drier, clairette is a highly aromatic grape. It gives citrus notes.
• Clairette rosé Clairette: also known as Clairette Blanche, it produces alcoholic, powerful, bitter wines.
• Grenache white The richness and opulence of this grape contribute to the wine's fatty texture and notes of white fruit and flowers.
• Grenache gris richer and fuller than its predecessor. It produces complex, highly aromatic wines.
• Picardan AOC: fine and delicate, it is often blended in the AOC to bring out its fruitiness and delicacy.
• White Piquepoul A highly aromatic grape variety. It brings freshness and citrus notes.
• Piquepoul gris Like its colleague, but with more body. It gives wine (not included) on exotic fruits and white fruits.
• Roussanne Roussanne: Roussanne is one of the appellation's noblest grape varieties. It produces dry, complex whites with notes of stone fruit and white fruit.

 

How to enjoy a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine?

Whether white or red, Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines are quite powerful.

For whites, there are two times to drink them.

For Châteauneuf-du-Pape with more Roussanne and Grenache, it's best to wait a few years. Roussanne is a grape variety that needs a little ageing to become more complex. After a few years, it develops notes of dried fruit, slightly candied, and leaves a fat, opulent texture.

For other grape varieties that give more citrus fruit and freshness, it's best to taste them when they're young. Decant 1 hour before serving, to allow the wine to open up (develop all its aromas) and serve at a temperature of around 8-9°.

For the reds, you generally have to wait 5-6 years to start tasting these wines. Often high in alcohol and requiring several months' barrel ageing, these are wines for laying down. Be patient, and after a few years of drooling over these pretty bottles, go for it. As a general rule, for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape between 4 and 6 years old, 3 hours in a decanter will do it a world of good. For older wines, open the bottle 2 hours beforehand and, depending on how you feel when you open it, leave it open for 1 or 2 hours, but without decanting. To serve, use large glasses and serve the wine at room temperature.

We're lucky enough to be able to offer a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape from 2010!

• Clos des Papes White 2010

Made from 6 grape varieties, including Grenache and Roussanne, this Châteauneuf-du-Pape will surprise you with its aromatic complexity. The palate opens with notes of white fruit and lime blossom, then the mid-palate arrives with its unctuous texture and dried fruit. A well-balanced finish between the freshness and bitterness of the Bourboulenc...

A real surprise at every stage of the tasting.

> Our Clos des Papes from the estate

 

For red, a old 2007 vintage to discover the depths of Châteauneuf-du-Pape!

• Domaine de Marcoux Red 2007

The estate is recognized by its peers as one of the world's leading best wines of the appellation. When young, the domaine's wines are very powerful and tannic. This is why long ageing will allow them to open up. Composed of over 65% of Grenache noir, the wines are very deep and powerful. After an hour's aeration, notes of black fruit and garrigue appear.

A minty finish completes a mouth full of finesse.

> Our Domaine Marcoux wines from the estate

Find the largest collection of Châteauneuf du Pape on the website :

> Ordering great Châteauneuf du Pape wines