Farr Vintners Logo

CDP Clos des Papes Blanc, Paul Avril Clos des Papes 2022

Tasting Notes

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is the usual blend of all the permitted varieties. It shows the richer, layered, opulent style of the vintage beautifully, with loads of pear, acacia flower, citrus oil, and spice notes all defining the aromatics, and it's full-bodied, with a layered, opulent texture and a great finish.Readers wanting to taste the best of 2021 in the Southern Rhône should seek out these latest releases from Paul-Vincent. Of course, the quality here shouldn’t surprise anyone, and Paul-Vincent has a rare ability to make truly great, age-worthy wines even in challenging vintages. Having just recently enjoyed a brilliant bottle of the 1980, I can attest to how well even so-called Petit Millésime can age. Looking at the 2021s specifically, it doesn’t bring the power and concentration of the 2022, but it’s no shrinking violet either and has beautiful concentration as well as depth. The 2022 is a bigger, richer wine, yet as with all the wines I’ve tasted from this incredible address, it holds onto a remarkable sense of elegance, with flawless balance.

97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, October 2023

Open and inviting aromas of dried pears, almost slightly hoppy. This is full-bodied and rich, but with good acidity thanks to the Bourboulenc and Piquepoul in the blend. There’s a lovely mineral touch despite being a big, powerful vintage. It’s not the most fine and elegant, but will be very good in time. The yield was down 50% this year due to hail. It’s worth waiting for this vintage, it will be wonderfully full and luxurious in time. Equal parts Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Piquepoul and Picardan. No malolactic fermentation. (Drink between 2029-2045)

96
Matt Walls, Decanter.com, September 2023
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.