Chateauneuf-du-Pape Clos des Papes 2019, Paul Avril

"Vincent Avril is delighted by the 2019 wines at Clos des Papes, comparing his 2019 red wine with the great vintages of 2016 and 2010. It is extremely balanced: powerful, certainly, but characterised by finesse and silkiness. The yield was ‘normal’ for Clos des Papes, although this is clearly much lower than that which is authorised by the appellation. Vincent makes clear that the only word that matters to him is ‘qualité’ and stresses that Clos des Papes always exhibits 100% of what nature has given the vines."
 
Bright and floral on the nose. The tannins are extremely fine, almost imperceptible, but very much present, giving the wine a strong base for long ageing. It's perfectly balanced, long and deep, resulting in a rich but surprisingly classic vintage of Clos des Papes considering the extreme conditions this year. Rich but bright, very complete and pure with no excesses. Vines are typically 30 to 40 years old, spread across 24 parcels. Matured for 12 months in foudres of at least four years of age.
- 98 points, Matt Walls for Decanter Magazine