Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC - Southern Rhone Cru

Question 1

Chateauneuf-du-Pape was used as the first prototype and later became the first AOC in France.

Who designed these rules and when was the first AOC approved?

Answer 1

Baron du Roy of Château Fortia

in 1923 the rules were designed

1936 the first AOC was born.

Question 2

What did the first AOC cover?

Answer 2

• protects the name from being used outside of the region.
• The rules delimited the region where the grapes had to be grown,
• the use of 13 grape varieties (18 if you count the colour variants of five of them) and a minimum alcohol level of 12.5 per cent abv without chaptalisation that at the time was a challenging requirement.
• The appellation allows red and white wines to be made.
• More than 90 per cent of the wine produced is red and the rest white
• Harvesting must be done by hand
• there is no stipulation of principal varieites or minimum percentages to be used

Question 3

Why are single varietal wines able to be sold in Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Answer 3

. Because there is no stipulation of principal varieties and minimum percentages to be
used

Question 4

How big is Chateauneuf-du-Pape AOC?

Answer 4

more than 3,000 hectares

Question 5

What are the soil types of this AOC?

Answer 5

limestone, clay, sandstone and sandy soils, the clay content being particularly helpful in its water-holding
capacity in a region with dry summers.

Question 6

What type of soils work best and why?

Answer 6

Low fertility and generally fast-draining soils are highly

suitable for growing vines and for reducing vegetative growth, leading to smaller crops of ripe grapes

Question 7

What are galets roules? what is their purpose?

Answer 7

galets roules are large pebbles

they radiate heat at night, adding to the warming effect.
In the past, this warming effect was valued but it is less so now as a warming climate is contributing to high sugar levels

Question 8

What are the average yields of Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Answer 8

30 hL/ha

Question 9

What would be the advantage of blending across lieux-dits and soil types for producers?

Answer 9

for added complexity and to create volumes that are commercially viable

Question 10

In general, growers believe that wines from grapes grown on sandy soils are finer and lighter in style than the more structured wines from grapes grown on
soil with the large pebbles.

True or False?

Answer 10

True

Question 11

TASTING NOTE

Red Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Answer 11

• medium ruby in colour,
• medium (+) to pronounced intensity of ripe red plum and blackberry fruit with spice notes and sometimes new oak notes.
• medium acidity,
• high alcohol
• tannins vary from medium (–) to high, depending
  on varietal mix, winemaking style and vintage.

Because of the size of the appellation and the number of producers there is a range of quality but the majority are good to outstanding in quality and mid-priced to super-premium.