Winemaker Notes
#46 James Suckling Top 100 Wines of the World 2025
Blend: 80% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 8% Vaccarèse & Counoise, 5% Mourvèdre
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This astonishing Chateauneuf-du-Pape has the enormous aromatic complexity and subtlety that we expect from Grand Cru red Burgundies. Enormous concentration and ample richness on the palate, and the structure behind this is no less impressive. Stacks of very fine tannins. The black and red berry fruit washes over you in a huge wave in the breathtaking licorice finish. So much drive and freshness. Enormous aging potential. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another highlight this year, Charvin's 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape exhales a complex, floral bouquet of violet, rose petals, dark cherries, spices and menthol intertwined with delicate garrigue notes. Medium to full-bodied and fine-boned with a layered core of fruit, bright acids and velvety tannins, it finishes long and ethereal with a delicate tannic frame thanks to whole bunches. This blend of 80% Grenache, 7% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and the rest of Vaccarèse and Counoise is one of my favorites this year.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Jeb Dunnuck
As to the Grand Vin 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape, it's a beautiful example of the vintage and has a perfumed, complex style in its mostly red fruits, peppery garrigue, orange blossom, and potpourri-like aromas and flavors. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it's beautifully balanced and has ultra-fine, polished tannins and a great finish. It's already impossible to resist, and while I see no need to delay gratification, it will have 10-15 years of longevity given its balance and nicely integrated structure.
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Vinous
The 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape scores with a redolent perfume of ripe strawberry, raspberry, licorice and rose petal. Ample freshness balances the 15.5% alcohol. Full-bodied, concentrated and framed by a firm tannic corset, the 2022 is a long-distance runner. Patience is advised.
Barrel Sample: 91-93
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.