Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP Flashcards
Chat about Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP offers red and white wines, and is the premier southern appellation. With 13 accepted varieties—or 18, depending on how one counts the grapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape embodies the Southern Rhône’s blending philosophy. While Grenache is generally the principal variety in red wines from the appellation, Château de Beaucastel Rouge is dominated by Mourvèdre and is famously produced from a blend of every authorized variety. On the other end of the spectrum, Château Rayas often releases their Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge as a 100% varietal Grenache. Regardless of the individual producer’s encépagement and assemblage, the red wines generally show more ripeness, richness, and alcohol than their northern counterparts. At 12.5%, the required minimum potential alcoholic strength is the highest in France for dry AOP wines, and can result in surprisingly high-alcohol wines, reaching 15% or more in some producers’ top-end cuvées. Additionally, AOP regulations mandate that producers declassify or discard at least 2% of harvested grapes (le rapé), a process that serves as a safeguard against under-ripeness.
Chat more about Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP
Château La Nerthe released the first estate-bottled Châteauneuf-du-Pape in 1785. Today, a papal crest embossed on the shoulder of the bottle marks all estate-bottled wines from the appellation. Knowledge of a producer’s individual style is key, as so many elements contribute to the character of the final wine. The appellation’s size is a factor: in comparison to Cornas’ 100 hectares, Châteauneuf-du-Pape has over 3000. Thus, the soil of the appellation is vastly varied beyond the iconic galets; distinct pockets of alluvial sediment exist for gravel, calcareous clay, and sand. Traditional producers tend to use old oak foudres for extended aging, and some may even bottle a vintage from cask as it is sold, creating great variation in individual bottlings of the same wine. Carbonic maceration, barrique aging and new vinification techniques allow experimentation. In addition, each producer’s assemblage is critical to the style. While the appellation’s regulations predate every other region in France, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is just beginning to modernize itself and explore its viticultural diversity.
The Grapes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Grenache (Noir/Blanc/Gris) Mourvèdre Syrah Cinsault Counoise Picpoul (Noir/Blanc/Gris) Terret Noir Bourboulenc Clairette/Clairette Rosé Roussanne Vaccarèse Picardan Muscardin
Overview of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Between Avignon and Orange, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyard’s 3200 hectares dominate the plain. The village streets clustered at the foot of the castle, a 14th century Papal residence, are dotted with fountains… and the wine cellars that offer the best way to discover this famous variety of wine.
In addition to the diversity of the 13 varieties of grape, it is characterized by its consistent soil quality. The limestone earth produces full, aromatic white wines with a crisp freshness. To the South, the clay soil with galets roulés (small round pebbles) produces full bodied, well structured wines: the epitome of their kind. To the North, the sandy earth produces light, yet fine and spicy wines which we will learn more about later…
Propelled by Baron Leroy, the owner of Château Fortia in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is where the AOC concept was born: measures of quality that, when adopted in 1923, bestowed upon Châteauneuf the status of a high-quality wine when it became one of the first AOC in 1936.
The Grapes of Châteauneuf-du-Pape
13 grape varieties are traditionally approved, but Grenache forms the majority, along with Syrah and Mouvèdre, that give the red wine its colour, structure, aromas of summer fruits and aromatic complexity (hints of leather, etc.)
Today, the main varieties used are Grenache and Cinsault (which give the wines their mellow warmth), Mourvèdre, Syrah, Muscardin (structure, colour, and freshness), Counoise (body, freshness, bouquet), Clairette, and Bourboulenc. The Guyot vine training system is used for Syrah. For other varieties, gobelet or fan shaped two eyed spurs are used, with a maximum of 15 eyes per vine in addition to the bud. Wires and stakes may not be used.
HISTORY
As its name suggests, the history of Châteauneuf-du-Pape is intimately linked that of several Popes… As early as 1157, faithful to Roman customs, Bishop Geoffroy of Avignon himself planted and cultivated a vineyard in his Châteauneuf fiefdom. In 1308, Clement V also planted vines, thereby becoming one of the first winemakers in Châteauneuf. Jean XXII had a particular appreciation for the wine from this vineyard, and ordered a castle built in the area, and bestowed upon the wine the prestigious title of “Vin du Pape” (Papal Wine), the name by which it was known before it became “Le Châteauneuf-du-Pape”.
Since then, one of the main characteristics of this AOC has been the broad variety of grapes used (13 varieties identified in 1866). In addition to providing aromatic complexity, the range of grapes used also meant that it could resist the phylloxera outbreak of 1866.
In 1829, almost 2000 hectolitres of Châteauneuf-du-Pape were sold outside the region: the wine already had a sound reputation and was widely exported. In 1894, the winemakers formed the first “Winemakers’ Union”. Its mission: to guarantee the quality of the region’s wines. In 1911, the local government formed a commission of 34 winemakers to classify, and therefore maintain the quality of Châteauneuf wines.
In 1923, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Winemakers’ Union was created to obtain the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC status. A lawyer as well as a winemaker, Baron Le Roy de Boiseaumarié was selected by his peers to head the Union. The Union and its famous Chairman led legal action that set the conditions and regulations for the production of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Appellation wine, and which constituted a guide for the creators of the registered designation of origin (AOC).
After several years in the courts, the French Supreme Court rubber stamped the production area and conditions on 21 November 1933. The same regulations are still used to this day.
Geography
The appellation’s vineyards spread across almost the entire Châteauneuf-du-Pape local authority, with some extending across the four neighbouring municipalities (Bédarrides, Courthézon, Orange, and Sorgues).
Climate
The driest area in the Côtes du Rhône. The prevalent wind is the Mistral, and each year sees around 2800 hours of sunshine, with the heat being stored by the rocks during the day and radiated at night.
SOILS
Galets roulés
The terroir of this AOC is made up of three kinds of soil. On a base of clean white urgonian limestone deposits lie sediments of sands and red clay, and the Rhône then forms pebbles from quartzite and silica from the Alps.
PRODUCTION SURFACE AREA
3 161 hectares
TOTAL PRODUCTION IN 2013
81 732 hl
COLOURS
94% RED
6% WHITE
AVERAGE YIELD ACHIEVED
26 hl/ha
AOC Established
1936
Additional Requirements
Hand-harvesting is required
A min. 2% of the harvested grapes must be used for table wine or discarded (râpé)
Flash-pasteurization is permitted for wine
