Clos des Papes Chteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2022

The Avril family has been prominent in Châteauneuf-du-Pape since the early 18th century, serving as municipal consuls and treasurers as far back as 1756, and it was the first Paul Avril — born 1873, one of the key figures behind the official birth of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation itself — who began selling wine under the Clos des Papes name in 1896. Today the estate is run by Paul-Vincent Avril, who trained in Burgundy and worked at Château Mouton Rothschild and Mount Mary in Australia before returning home in 1988; one critic has memorably described him as "a Rhône man in his head but a Burgundy man in his heart," which explains why his wines age with such unusual grace. True to the family's uncompromising philosophy, Clos des Papes makes just one red and one white — no special cuvées, ever, because dividing the fruit would only dilute what matters most. The Blanc, first made in 1955, draws on a small portion of the estate's 35 hectares across 24 parcels, blending Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, and Picardan — all six permitted white varieties of the appellation — vinified and aged around six months in stainless steel and vat, certified organic, with production limited to roughly 1,000 cases a year.

The result is routinely ranked among the finest whites in the entire southern Rhône: honeysuckle, acacia, grapefruit, and lemon peel meet white peach, apricot, and a whisper of pineapple, opening onto a full-bodied, silky palate balanced by supple acidity and a long, saline, mouthwatering finish. One reviewer called it Grand Cru quality in its purest form — "so fresh and clear you'd scarcely identify it blind as a Châteauneuf-du-Pape." It's approachable on release yet built to cellar beautifully for two decades or more, an unusual trait for a white this vibrant.