Clos des Papes' Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 comes from 32 hectares of old vines across the Crau and Canto terroirs, blended almost equally from Grenache and Mourvèdre rather than the usual Grenache-heavy mix. Black cherry, violet and Persian spice, with fine, well-resolved tannins and real length. One of the appellation's genuine benchmarks, made by the same family since Vincent Avril took over in 1987.
Most Châteauneuf-du-Pape leans heavily on Grenache. Clos des Papes doesn't: this vintage is 45% Grenache and 45% Mourvèdre, with Syrah, Counoise, Vaccarèse and Muscardin making up the rest of the blend. That extra Mourvèdre is a large part of why the wine carries structure and savoury depth alongside its fruit, rather than relying on Grenache's ripeness alone.
This is a bottle for someone who wants to see what Châteauneuf-du-Pape can do at its most serious: fine tannins, real length, and the kind of balance that comes from vines averaging around 80 years old and yields kept deliberately low. It rewards patience, but it's already showing beautifully.
What it tastes like
Black cherry and blackberry lead, with violets and a Persian-spice lift, moving into savoury, mineral notes on the palate. The tannins are fine and well-integrated rather than gripping, and the finish runs long, with a touch of salinity underneath the fruit. Full-bodied but precise, never heavy.
Style at a glance
- Body: Full
- Sweetness: Dry
- Tannin: Fine, well-resolved
- Oak: Aged in large, old oak foudres, so no new-wood character shows through
- Style: Grenache-Mourvèdre, organic, benchmark Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Food
Braised short rib, venison with juniper and dark cherry, a well-aged côte de bœuf, duck confit, a mature Gouda or hard sheep's cheese, or a rich mushroom and truffle risotto if you want something meat-free with enough weight to stand up to the wine.
Who makes it
Vincent Avril has run Clos des Papes since 1987, farming 32 hectares split across the Crau and Canto terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, with vines averaging close to 80 years old. The Estate has been certified organic for close to 7 years and hasn't filtered a wine since 1988. Grapes are fully destemmed before fermentation and the wine is aged in large, old oak foudres for about a year, with no new wood used at any point - a style built around balance rather than extraction. It's one of the appellation's most consistently respected producers, and one of the few here that leans on Mourvèdre as heavily as Grenache.
About the vintage
Châteauneuf-du-Pape's 2024 season opened with a cold, dry winter before turning warm and wet through spring, with bud burst around 10 days earlier than 2023. Roughly 250mm of spring rain refilled the soil but also brought real mildew pressure, and some vines saw coulure on Grenache and localised hail in mid-July. A dry, cold spell in late April and early May gave way to a hot, dry stretch through late July and early August, before welcome showers in early September ahead of a moderately wet autumn.
Vincent Avril described how Clos des Papes managed the season: "The vines were growing rapidly. We protected our vines on public holidays and weekends, which allowed us to avoid mildew damage to the flower clusters, with only minor damage to the leaves. We narrowly escaped the worst in 2024; 2018 taught us a great deal." The Estate's own yield came in at just 16 to 17 hectolitres per hectare, well below the appellation's already-reduced 2024 average of 24.7 hl/ha for reds - a genuinely small crop, concentrating what fruit came through.
Across the appellation, 2024 production finished around 24% below 2023 and 14% below the 10 year average, but the wines are showing good phenolic ripeness and higher acidity than usual, with reds carrying above-average colour intensity and fine, elegant tannins. It's a vintage that rewarded the growers who protected their fruit through a difficult spring, and Clos des Papes' own account of the season shows exactly that kind of vigilance paying off.
Critic scores and ratings
- 98 POINTS – Matt Walls – Decanter, September 2025 – "Juicy, fresh, blackberry-tinged, vibrant, precise and fresh. Subtle violet note with raspberry, minerals and great length."
- 96 POINTS – James Suckling – April 2025 – "Seductive, silky and refined red with cassis, mocha and exotic spices."
When to drink it
This is a Châteauneuf-du-Pape built for the cellar: expect it to reward a decade or more, in keeping with a vintage carrying real structure and freshness, though Clos des Papes hasn't published a specific window for this release. An hour or two of decanting will open it up nicely if you're drinking it younger.
Technical details
| Producer |
Clos des Papes |
| Wine |
Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| Vintage |
2024 |
| Variety |
45% Grenache, 45% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah, Counoise, Vaccarèse and Muscardin |
| Region |
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Crau and Canto terroirs |
| Country |
France |
| Certification |
Certified organic |
| Fermentation |
Fully destemmed |
| Oak |
Aged around a year in large, old oak foudres, no new wood; unfiltered since 1988 |
| Cellaring |
Built for a decade or more; no specific window published for this release |
| Serving temperature |
Best served around 16-18°C, like most full-bodied reds |
Where to buy
The Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 is available in store at The Winery's Queenstown and Arrowtown stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine.
Questions we are often asked
What does Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 taste like?
It's a full-bodied red with black cherry, blackberry and violet on the nose, moving into savoury, mineral notes on the palate, with fine tannins, real length and a touch of salinity on the finish.
What food goes with Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape?
Braised short rib, venison with juniper and dark cherry, a well-aged côte de bœuf, duck confit, a mature Gouda or hard sheep's cheese, or a rich mushroom and truffle risotto.
What makes Clos des Papes' Châteauneuf-du-Pape different?
It leans on Mourvèdre as heavily as Grenache, an equal 45/45 split in 2024, where most Châteauneuf-du-Pape is Grenache-dominant. The estate hasn't filtered a wine since 1988 and ages everything in large, old oak foudres with no new wood.
Is Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape organic?
Yes, Clos des Papes has been certified organic for close to seven years.
How long will Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 keep?
It's built for a decade or more in the cellar, in keeping with a vintage that's showing real structure and freshness, though Clos des Papes hasn't published a specific drinking window for this release.
Where can I buy Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024?
The Winery stocks Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2024 in its Queenstown and Arrowtown stores.
