Organic wine, a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. An intense nose of spiced berry pie, pastry, and sweet cloves. Light initially in the mouth, filling out through a generous drying mid palate featuring roasted game, anise, fennel, and olive. An increasing spiciness and garrigue to a long full finish with chewy fine tannins. A bold 15% alcohol. Our own import, making it superb value.

Chateauneuf du Pape is definitely the most famous and arguably the most prestigious of the Southern Rhone ‘Cru’ wine appellations, covering 3,200 hectares of vines across 5 communes (about three times the size of Martinborough).

Wine was made here from Roman times, but became famous when the Pope moved to nearby Avignon in the 14th century. With the Papacy in town and beyond to royal courts the wines have been favourites ever since. The best vineyards are on gentle hill slopes, with deep clay & limestone soils with large rounded river stones ‘galets’ on top. By rules inacted in the 1920s, no vineyards were to be planted on land that was not arid enough to support plantings of both lavender and vines!

Domaine Juliette Avril is a family winery of four generations in the heart of Chateauneuf – growing for centuries in the region and one of the original families that combined forces to create the rules of the first appellation in 1928. The vineyards are the classic mix of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and small amounts of the other 10 grape varieties permitted. An impressive half of the vines are over 50 years old.

Winemaking

Temperature controlled ferment in steel, aged in high quality demi-muid (600L) barrels for 12 months, with a light filtration.