Clos des Papes

At the roots of a dynasty: the birth of Clos des Papes

Clos des Papes is not just a prestigious name in Châteauneuf du Pape, it is above all a family history that spans the ages. Since the XVIIᵉ century, the Avril family - one of whose members was the city's first consul - has been immersed in this emblematic terroir of the southern Rhône Valley, cultivating vines with remarkable consistency in the shadow of the papal palace. In 1896, Paul-Eugène Avril signed the estate's first vintage, already affirming a clear vision: to make his wines the ambassadors of this terroir. A few decades later, his grandson Paul Avril was one of the artisans behind the creation of the Châteauneuf du Pape appellation in 1936, one of the first AOCs to be recognized, helping to lay the foundations for what would become one of France's leading appellations.

The tradition has been handed down from father to son for generations, without ever limiting itself to repeating the past. Paul-Vincent Avril, the current winemaker, trained in Burgundy, Bordeaux (with Raoul Blondin at Château Mouton Rothschild) and Australia, before returning to his homeland in 1988 and officially succeeding his father in 2009. This openness beyond the Rhône has left its mark on his approach: Burgundian rigor in the precision of blending, exacting standards in viticulture, and loyalty to the idea that Clos des Papes should remain the pure expression of the mosaic of terroirs in Châteauneuf du Pape. It's this alchemy of heritage and global outlook that has shaped the wine estate's current identity.

Beyond galets roulés: the laboratory of complexity

If Clos des Papes now occupies such a prominent place in the Châteauneuf du Pape landscape, it's because it's built on a unique mosaic of terroirs. The wine estate covers some 30 hectares divided into 24 parcels, scattered across the appellation's finest terroirs. There are no plot-based cuvées or single-varietal wines here: blending remains the key, as is the tradition in the southern Rhône Valley. The Avril family has always cultivated diversity rather than specialization, far from the effects of fashion.

Sun-warmed galets roulés provide concentration and power. Clays bring depth and freshness. As for the sandy soils, they deliver airy elegance and fine tannins. Paul-Vincent Avril 's art is to marry these contrasting expressions to create a fair and harmonious image of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, made of complexity and nuance.

This quest for balance is also supported by a precious plant heritage. The grape varieties reflect the richness of the appellation: Grenache Noir dominates the reds, backed up by Syrah and Mourvèdre, and the more discreet Muscardin, Vaccarèse and Counoise. For whites, all six authorized grape varieties are present, from Grenache Blanc to Clairette, as well as Roussanne, Marsanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Picardan, creating a rare Clos des Papes white of great subtlety. The vines, some of which are in their eighties or even hundreds of years old! - are cultivated using certified organic methods, with deliberately low yields - rarely exceeding 25 hectolitres per hectare - to guarantee optimal expression in each berry. The grapes are harvested exclusively by hand, allowing each bunch to be meticulously sorted directly in the plot. With such a wide variety of grape varieties on such a patchwork of plots, the challenge is to harvest at the right moment when the right ripeness is reached.

From vine to cellar, the same quest for purity

At Clos des Papes, work in the cellar is an extension of that in the vineyard, with the same demand for precision. Paul-Vincent Avril has chosen to remain faithful to the spirit of the generations that preceded him: here, there are no technical demonstrations or fads, only the conviction that the wine must faithfully reflect its origins.

The hand-picked grapes are gently transferred to the vats. For the reds, destemming has been the norm since 1991. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled concrete vats, with morning and evening pump-overs. The indigenous yeasts do their work unhurriedly for a full month, and the wines spend the winter undergoing malolactic fermentation. After gravity settling, pressing takes place directly under the vats. Ageing then continues in large old oak foudres, for around a year. Never new wood - that's the Avril family motto! This choice gives Châteauneuf du Pape red cuvées a silky texture, and avoids masking the complexity of the terroir with too much wood. For more than thirty years, the wine estate has not filtered its wines, but instead has made a point of respecting the grapes.

The Châteauneuf du Pape blanc follows a parallel path, equally respectful of the integrity of the grapes. The six grape varieties are fermented together before being pressed in whole bunches. The wines are then aged for around six months on their fine lees in stainless steel tanks, without malolactic fermentation, to preserve tension and freshness.

Emblematic Clos des Papes cuvées

At Le Clos des Papes , the history, terroirs and know-how of the Avril family come together in the two cuvées produced by the wine estate: Châteauneuf du Pape blanc and Châteauneuf du Pape rouge. Two flagship expressions that complement each other: one in rarity and freshness, the other in depth and ageing potential.

Châteauneuf du Pape blanc, a rare gem

Produced in small quantities - less than 4 hectares of the vineyard are devoted to it - Clos des Papes Châteauneuf du Pape blanc is a particularly prized wine, reflecting the same exacting standards as its twin, Châteauneuf du Pape rouge. Made from the six white grape varieties grown by the wine estate, Clos des Papes blanc offers a singular style: a full, elegantly taut palate, with aromas of white flowers, citrus and fine herbs, enhanced by a subtle touch of fresh saltiness. A model of grandeur and balance, it achieves excellence with every vintage.

It needs a few years to reveal its full depth. Its ageing potential, often underestimated, can be surprising: ten years or more! The wine then gains in complexity, unfolding notes of fine honey, dried fruit and sweet spices.

Châteauneuf du Pape rouge, the soul of the wine estate

The red Châteauneuf du Pape is the single most important expression of the Clos des Papes identity. It represents the vast majority of production and embodies the desire to reflect the appellation in its entirety. In this emblematic cuvée, each grape variety and terroir contributes its own nuance, color and essence.

The result is a red that escapes both standards and excesses. Behind its natural concentration, it always reveals a freshness, depth and finesse of tannins that are the hallmark of the wine estate's style. The aromas evolve over time: red and black fruits in youth, garrigue, spices and licorice at maturity, before reaching, after several decades, an aromatic complexity of rare elegance. Because Châteauneuf du Pape rouge is also a wine of patience: designed for ageing, it lasts through the years without losing its brilliance, delivering a different reading of its terroir at each stage of its evolution.

One of the great wines of the Southern Rhône Valley, and a timeless testament to the work of the Avril family, who, generation after generation, continue their quest for purity and balance.

Clos des Papes, a timeless signature of Châteauneuf du Pape

Over the generations, Clos des Papes has established itself as an absolute benchmark of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, not through excess, but through consistency and integrity. In a landscape where plot-based cuvées and stylistic effects abound, the Avril family has chosen another path: that of regularity, precision and fidelity to the spirit of the southern Rhône Valley. This approach has earned Paul-Vincent Avril the title of RVF Winemaker of the Year 2026.

Each bottle of Châteauneuf du Pape red and Châteauneuf du Pape white tells a story of patience, transmission and the quest for balance, acclaimed worldwide by lovers of long-keeping wines and sincere soulful wines.

This recognition is no accident: the Revue du Vin de France has awarded the wine estate its prestigious 3 stars in the Guide Vert, the highest distinction reserved for producers of absolute excellence. A well-deserved tribute to the Avril family's patient and attentive vision.