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Clos des Papes

Clos des Papes is one of the Rhone Valley’s most venerable estates. The Avril family, now headed by Paul Avril and his son Vincent, have been making wine in Chateauneuf-du-Pape for 300 years. The name of the estate comes from the fact that the original vineyard was part of a papal estate located inside a chateau. The Avril family now owns parcels through the Chateauneuf-du-Pape appellation, giving the estate a total of nearly 90 acres of vineyards planted mostly to Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. Some 10% of the estate is planted to the white grapes that make up the classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. About 100,000 bottles of red are produced annually. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called the estate’s wines “brilliant,” and notes that they are especially long-lived. The estate produces just one red and one white wine, selling any cuvees of lesser quality to negociants.
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