Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023: Report and top-scoring wines
Châteauneuf-du-Pape performed well in 2023, with some high scores across both reds and whites despite extreme weather which took growers out of their comfort zones.
While we were in the tasting room of La Vieille Julienne with Jean-Paul Daumen and his son Antoine, all of our mobile phones simultaneously sounded the same alarm.
It was to warn people in the vicinity of the Rhône river that it was about to rise to dangerous levels due to storms in the Cévennes mountains.
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Key Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers in 2023
Best-value Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines in 2023
Under-the-radar Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers in 2023
Rhône 2023 full report and top-scoring wines
Southern Rhône 2023: The connoisseur’s guide
Compare vintages: See our coverage of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines from previous years
Matt Walls’ top-scoring Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2023 wines:
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Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Currently this is quite discreet on the nose, but very harmonious. With lovely acidity, this manages to combine power, freshness and detail of flavour to...
2023
Domaine de BeaurenardChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Solitude, Vin de la Solitude Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Macadamia oak notes are accompanied by some struck-match reduction, adding a smoky touch. Only medium-bodied, there's no excess weight or alcohol here; it’s fresh, with...
2023
Domaine de la SolitudeChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Beaucastel, Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Attractive, fresh and open, with honeyed apricot and mango notes. It's full-bodied, but not massive by any means, and the acidity is low, as usual...
2023
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Nalys, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This shows roasted lime and peanut from the oak and is slightly reductive, giving a smoky finish. It’s actually quite light in body for a...
2023
Château de NalysChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Clos des Papes, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This is a relatively full-bodied wine, with a pear and quince profile, slightly tingling acidity and salinity, and a touch of pink grapefruit. It’s certainly...
2023
Clos des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Janasse, Prestige Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Rather fuller in body than the standard Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is equally ripe, but richer and with slightly elevated alcohols. The oak is well judged, but...
2023
Domaine de la JanasseChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Janasse, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This is an explosively fruity wine, with ripe apricot and peach flavours and slightly noticeable alcohol. The powerful, rich flavour carries into the finish. It's...
2023
Domaine de la JanasseChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Famille Isabel Ferrando, Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This is a very powerful white Châteauneuf – textural and driving, with intensity and freshness. The oak is mostly present in texture and shape. It’s...
2023
Famille Isabel FerrandoChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Nalys, Saintes Pierres de Nalys Blanc, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A direct and impactful wine with salinity, freshness and acidity. It’s not weighty, but has real energy and focus. Medium length, with marzipan and pear...
2023
Château de NalysChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine La Manarine, Vin d'Ange Heureux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A perfumed, petal-soft Clairette, full, satin-textured and very approachable. The oak is really quite spicy on the finish though, it might be a bit too...
2023
Domaine La ManarineChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Raymond Usseglio, Pure Clairette, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France, 2023
A very full-bodied, rich and textural style of Châteauneuf, this has real power and a mineral undertow. The alcohol is a little raised, but the...
2023
Domaine Raymond UsseglioChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Beaucastel, Hommage à Jacques Perrin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A tasting of the final blend in barrel; very dark in colour. This is deep, wild and introverted; full-bodied and fully ripe with velvet tannins....
2023
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château Rayas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Some of Reynaud's Grenache barrels were still fermenting during my visit in October 2024, so this is a provisional score. A tasting of Le Coeur...
2023
Château RayasChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Clos des Papes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
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...
2023
Clos des PapesChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A tasting of the constituent parts this year, so this is a provisional score. The Terret Noir, Muscardin and Vaccarèse were fermented together; they provide...
2023
Château de BeaucastelChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Famille Isabel Ferrando, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Impressively structured, long-haul tannins. It’s fresh and well balanced, with good acidity and alcohol that warms without excess heat. This is a serious, savoury style...
2023
Famille Isabel FerrandoChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de Beaurenard, Boisrenard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A tasting of the pre-blended constituent parts. The first sample, taken from an old foudre, is a medium-bodied, fresh, tense and lively style, with grippy...
2023
Domaine de BeaurenardChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de Cristia, Chappelle Saint Théodoric Le Grand Pin, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
<p>There's a bit more spice and smoke to the whole bunch fruit compared to the Chapelle St Théodoric La Guigasse this year. It's a little...
2023
Domaine de CristiaChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Les Hauts Lieux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This is so rich and ripe, with high alcohol and glycerol. The acidity is surprisingly punchy and really quite intense; there’s some limestone tension, too....
2023
Domaine de la Vieille JulienneChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine de Marcoux, Vieilles Vignes, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This has considerably more fruit, ripeness and concentration compared to the standard Châteauneuf-du-Pape rouge, and slightly higher alcohol – this is pure (100%) Grenache after...
2023
Domaine de MarcouxChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Juliette Avril, Maxence, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
This has a lovely nose of nutmeg, violets and liquorice. It’s full-bodied, generous and silky on the palate – fresh too, with the structure to...
2023
Domaine Juliette AvrilChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine La Manarine, Pied de Baud, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A very good wine and the most impressive yet from this under-the-radar grower. There’s herbal freshness running through it and it has great energy and...
2023
Domaine La ManarineChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Mayard, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Fairly pale in colour and highly atypical in its aromas, with an extraordinary array of herbs and spices, including rose petals, orange peel and garrigue...
2023
Domaine MayardChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Santa Duc, Habemus Papem, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A smoky and spicy style, with some juniper-smoked bacon and violets. Fine and fresh on the palate, with deep blackberry fruit from the Syrah –...
2023
Domaine Santa DucChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Santa Duc, Les Saintes Vierges, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Gorgeous spicy aromatics, with floral violet and rose notes, surprisingly powerful acidity and very fine tannins; the alcohol is slightly higher than in the other...
2023
Domaine Santa DucChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Domaine Santa Duc, Le Pied de Baud, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
The 10% Mourvèdre really makes itself known here, with violets, blood orange, flowers and herbs. This has serious volume, weight and generosity, with fine but...
2023
Domaine Santa DucChâteauneuf-du-Pape
Famille Isabel Ferrando, Colombis, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
A soft, juicy and approachable wine, only medium-bodied, with good acidity and freshness. It’s remarkably crisp for a pure Grenache. Not the most concentrated in...
2023
Famille Isabel FerrandoChâteauneuf-du-Pape
La Bastide St-Dominique, Secrets de Pignan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
An elegant and smooth style of Châteauneuf, ripe but not overly concentrated, with balanced (if gently warming) alcohol and acidity, some sandy mineral notes and...
2023
La Bastide St-DominiqueChâteauneuf-du-Pape
La Ferme du Mont, Capelan, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Rhône, France 2023
Very dark in colour. A compelling aroma of menthol, iodine and woody herbs – rosemary and thyme. Spicy, peppery and very concentrated, with driving acidity,...
2023
La Ferme du MontChâteauneuf-du-Pape
