"New castle of the Pope." Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a village on the Rhône, south of Orange and west of Carpentras in Vaucluse. It is named after its castle which was built for the Popes who, in the 14th Century, were based in Avignon. This was the first wine in France to be awarded its own AOC in 1929. It produces the most famous red wine of the southern Rhône, mainly from Grenaches grapes, as well as a small amount of fine white wine.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape permits thirteen different varieties of grape, and the blend is usually predominantly Grenache. Other red grapes include Cinsault, Counoise, Mourvèdre, Muscardine, Syrah, Terret noir, and Vaccarèse. White grapes include Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Picardin, Roussanne and Piquepoul. In recent years the trend has been to include fewer, or even none, of the allowed white varieties, and rely heavily (or solely) upon the Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah. One may suspect that this is a response to international wine-market trends and the desire to have this sometimes-rustic wine appeal to a broader commercial audience.After five years or so this wine develops an unusual aroma of honey, nuts and toast. Whites should be served at 12ºC and reds at 16-18ºC.
Before wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. began promoting them, chateauneufs were considered rustic and of limited appeal. However, his influence increased their price four-fold in a decade. In gratitude, the Chateauneuf Winemakers Union pushed for his becoming an honorary citizen of the village.
