Vinceremos Organic Wine Blog

Châteauneuf -du-Pape (literally ‘the pope’s new castle’) is the most famous wine of the Southern Rhone region as well as being regarded as the greatest. For many wine lovers it was the first ‘quality’ wine they experienced as it remained fantastic value while the great wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy reached prices many couldn’t afford. Prices have since risen and one can expect to pay around £20 for a top quality bottle although there are producers whose reputation dictates prices of well over £30 and beyond. Sadly many believe Châteauneuf is a guarantee for quality – as the name is of an area rather than a producer the wines vary enormously. A famous characteristic of the vineyards is the presence of large ‘pudding’ stones that are present in the soil – these bake in the heat of the sun during the day and then keep the grapes warm at night.

The thing people claim to know about Châteauneuf-du-Pape is that it may contain up to thirteen different grape varieties. In truth it is actually fifteen because two of the grapes have both a red and white variety (Picpoul and Grenache). Few growers use all permitted varietals and in fact most Châteauneuf is Grenache based (not Syrah as many believe), with a decent percentage of Syrah and Mourvèdre making up the rest of the wine.

Good Châteauneuf should age well and when at its peak a spicy, gamy character should be present. High quality wines will be big and tannic when young, thus enabling them to age into powerful, full-bodied yet sleek wines, with a complex core of violets, tar and dark fruits when mature.

White Châteauneuf -du-Pape is less common but highly prized among wine lovers and is a rare treat when really good. Often full-bodied and rich it should have a good blast of spice – cloves, cinnamon, ground coriander – and is an excellent partner for Asian cuisine.

Grapes permitted. Red: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Picpoul Noir, Terret, Cinsault, Counoise, Vaccarèse, Muscardin

White: Grenache Blanc, Rousanne, Picpoul Blanc, Bourboulanc, Clairette, Picardin