Châteauneuf du Pape
The Châteauneuf-du-Pape is an appellation from the Rhône valley.
The wines from this area have an impeccable reputation. The name Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from a famous French wine village on the banks of the Rhone. The name Châteauneuf-du-Pape comes from an age-old castle where the Pope of Avignon used to stay. The winemakers from this area can compose their wines from no less than 13 permitted grape varieties. The wines are very powerful and concentrated with an exuberant spiciness and tempting fruit.
Grapes used in Châteauneuf du Pape wine
The appellation consists of around 3000 vines. 13 different grape varieties may be used for the production of Châteauneuf du Pape. These are not used in all wines. The most commonly used grape is the Grenache. In addition, Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvèdre, Muscardin, Syrah, Terret noir and Vaccarèse. White grape varieties can also be added for red wines. The Grenache blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardan, Roussanne, and Picpoul grapes are used for this. In recent years there has been a trend that the white grapes are not used in the blend.
Color, smell and taste
A good red Châteauneuf-du-Pape is spicy and complex and can be stored for years. In the past it was necessary to wait years for the wines to drink properly. Nowadays he can be drunk after about three years.
The terroir
In fact, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a large, rocky hill with red pebbles and large boulders in the ground, here and there sand and loam elsewhere. The boulders are warmed by the sun during the day and radiate that warmness on the grapes at night, which therefore develops a lot of flavor. In the course of the centuries, precisely those grape varieties have been planted on those diverse soils that thrive on them.