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Clos des Papes

Paul Avril was one of the founders of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation. In 1896, he started to produce his wines under the name of Clos des Papes for sale.

His heir Régis Avril (1901-1987) supplied wines to two presidents of France, General de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou.

Paul Avril (1937-2009) began working at the Domaine in 1963, first with his father and later for many years with his son. Paul-Vincent Avril (born 1965) attended wine school in Burgundy as a young man. From there he also brought visions of finesse and elegance on his return to the estate.

Today the estate covers 32 ha. 3 ha of which are planted with white grape varieties. 24 different plots are spread over the village. One parcel is located near the Pope's castle and was surrounded by walls (clos). This is also where the name of the domain comes from.

Since 2011, the vineyards are certified as "agriculture biologique".

Only one cuvée of each white (10% of production) and red Châteauneufdu Pape produced. Since 1991, the grapes are completely destemmed and since 1987, the entire production is bottled at the Domaine.

The secret behind the high quality is the extremely low yield. In the 2007, 2008 and 2009 vintages, the yield was 25, 17 and 19 hl/ha, respectively. The yield is minimized by green harvesting and by repeated sorting of the grapes during the harvest.

Clos des Papes Winery Schild At the entrance Clos des Papes - Sign at the entrance

Clos des Papes is not a place for experimentation.

The aim is always to produce a very high quality wine that meets the expectations of Paul Vincent Avril himself as well as those of his customers all over the world. For Avril, it is a sign of quality when the wine is recognizable across vintages. 80% of the production, which is around 100,000 bottles, is exported. For Avril it is no problem to sell his wines even in times when the market is suffering from a crisis.

The wines of Clos des Papes

Châteauneuf du Pape Rouge 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah and 5% others. Aged in barrels for 12-15 months.
Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul. No wood involved.

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