Winemaker Notes
Clos de l’Oratoire des Papes is a perfect partner for rich beef, and spicy dishes prepared with truffles and flavorful cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Lifted black-cherry and blackberry aromas are accented by savory notes of licorice, bay leaf and thyme in this sultry blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault. It's full bodied and supple, with a firm mineral tang anchoring the finish. Fine-grained but grippy tannins will meld with time but the wine is already showing beautifully.
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James Suckling
Very impressive wine with sturdy tannins and plenty of upbeat, dark, punchy fruit on offer. The palate has a very plush, silky edge with ripe, red-plum and blackberry flavors, cast amid assertive, bold but silky tannins. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Aged solely in foudres, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Clos de l'Oratoire des Papes is a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 5% each Cinsault and Mourvèdre. It's probably one of my favorite 2016s from Ogier, offering some real depth and concentration. Black cherry fruit picks up hints of dried spices on the long, supple finish. It should drink well for a decade or more.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Famous for its full-bodied, seductive and spicy reds with flavor and aroma characteristics reminiscent of black cherry, baked raspberry, garrigue, olive tapenade, lavender and baking spice, Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the leading sub-appellation of the southern Rhône River Valley. Large pebbles resembling river rocks, called "galets" in French, dominate most of the terrain. The stones hold heat and reflect it back up to the low-lying gobelet-trained vines. Though the galets are typical, they are not prominent in every vineyard. Chateau Rayas is the most obvious deviation with very sandy soil.
According to law, eighteen grape varieties are allowed in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and most wines are blends of some mix of these. For reds, Grenache is the star player with Mourvedre and Syrah coming typically second. Others used include Cinsault, Counoise and occasionally Muscardin, Vaccarèse, Picquepoul Noir and Terret Noir.
Only about 6-7% of wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is white wine. Blends and single-varietal bottlings are typically based on the soft and floral Grenache Blanc but Clairette, Bourboulenc and Roussanne are grown with some significance.
The wine of Chateauneuf-du-Pape takes its name from the relocation of the papal court to Avignon. The lore says that after moving in 1309, Pope Clément V (after whom Chateau Pape-Clément in Pessac-Léognan is named) ordered that vines were planted. But it was actually his successor, John XXII, who established the vineyards. The name however, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, translated as "the pope's new castle," didn’t really stick until the 19th century.