Clos des Papes achieved a rare critical consensus with its 2016 red, drawing near-unanimous exceptional scores from every major publication that reviewed it. The Wine Advocate awarded 97+ points, Wine Spectator 97, Vinous 97 and Decanter 98, with Jeb Dunnuck awarding a perfect 100. The blend of 60% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah was produced from what Paul-Vincent Avril described as his largest harvest since 2007, at yields of 25 hectolitres per hectare; remarkably, such generous yields did not compromise quality.

The 2016 Chateauneuf-du-Pape vintage is considered one of the southern Rhone's three or four finest of the past twenty-five years, combining the ripeness and concentration of a warm year with a paradoxical freshness and balance that has given these wines exceptional longevity. At Clos des Papes, the extraordinary depth of the estate's old-vine fruit was matched by the vintage conditions, and Paul-Vincent Avril's meticulous blending produced a wine that Robert Parker's reviewer described as 'full-bodied but balanced, with plenty of richness and concentration but also a certain paradoxical lightness.'

Now approaching a decade of bottle age, the 2016 Clos des Papes is entering its early accessible window while retaining decades of development ahead. The Wine Advocate noted that it 'should drink well for at least two decades,' and the Vinous reviewer described the 'impressively concentrated and sharply delineated flavors' and 'slow-building tannins' that shape a finish of extraordinary length and penetration. This is a wine of the highest stature from one of France's most consistently brilliant estates.

Best from 2025 to 2040 and beyond. Decant three to four hours. Pair with roasted leg of lamb, wild boar with black olives, venison or aged Ossau-Iraty.