2023, Domaine Paul Avril, CLOS DES PAPES, Rouge, Magnum (1500ml)

The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is totally sexy. Ripe black fruits, cassis pastilles, liquorice, garrigue and herbal elements are all pushed forward. Framed by smooth tannins, the full-bodied 2023 jumps at you right away. It mesmerises with gorgeous purity of fruit, lifting freshness and ample resilience on the focused finale. I can’t wait to taste it from bottle.
94-96  By Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous. 

Deeply coloured and quite dark in character, with damson and liquorice notes. It’s generous, full-bodied, quite spicy and fairly potent, with lovely bright, sappy acidity and very fine, soft tannins. There are some similarities with 2022 and 2020. This should be very good, and will drink before both of these recent vintages. All destemmed, aged in old foudres. The estate had a good yield this year, at 25hl/ha.
97 Matt Walls, Decanter.

A beautiful looking barrel sample, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape is deep purple-hued with a classic 2023 profile of darker berry fruits, peppery garrigue, and spices. It's concentrated, medium to full-bodied, has a pure, layered, seamless profile, ripe tannins, and a great finish.
95-97 Jeb Dunnuck.

The 2023 Clos des Papes Rouge has such a beautiful, fine nose with deep blackcurrant and black cherry fruit. All is so focused here, with a note of dark liquorice and just a gentle whiff of spice. But there is so much freshness, too, lifted wonderfully by the delicate scent of wild roses. The flavours are dominated by liquid drops of blackcurrant and blueberry fruit. This is so unbelievably silky, gliding seamlessly across the palate. There is an exquisite freshness here, too, with a beautiful, pebble-stone minerality emerging. Chalky tannins leave a light grip on the long, precise, rewarding and ultra-pure finish.
Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (November 2024)