Where to Buy Clos des Papes

Clos des Papes has been proclaimed by the Independent as “The best wine in the world”.; well not the Independent exactly but following up on Wine Spectator magazine proclaiming the Clos des Papes 2005 as the best wine, quickly followed by the 2004 vintage:

“in a recent, mass, blind tasting of 15,000 wines from all over the globe by the American magazine, Wine Spectator, it was the relatively unknown Clos des Papes 2005, a red wine from Château-neuf-du-Pape, near Avignon, in the Rhône valley, which came out on top. Value for money was taken into consideration but also sheer quality (98 marks out of 100) and a subjective element labelled simply “excitement”.”

The producer, M. Avril, makes only two wines (a red and a white). The red is a blend of six different kinds of grapes, grown on 24 different pieces of ground – to fulfil his own “instinct” for how to “express” the qualities of the grapes, the terroirs and the year. He is not trying to produce a “Parker” wine or a “Spectator” wine but a Clos des Papes.

What the Independent fails to say is where to buy these acclaimed wines; a little on-line research shows it ain’t easy to find!

Speciality Wine -
Clos des PapeRhones 2005 £89 per bottle
Clos des Papes 2004 £48
Clos des Papes 2003 £58

Berry Brothers
Clos des Papes - sold out

A & B Vintners
2004/2005 - price not displayed on website

Wine Society
Clos des Papes 2002 - £23

Lay and Wheeler
Clos des Papes 2004 - £32.70

Blenheim Fine Wines (case sales only)
Clos des Papes 2002 - £22.10

Flying Corkscrew
Clos du Papes 2004 - £41 (online case sales only)

En Primeur
Clos du Papes 2001 - £30.80 (case sales only)

M. Avrion says that his wines should be kept for at least six to eight years before they are drunk. He is selling his 2001 vintage – now ready to drink – at €50 a bottle. Although the 2005 is all sold, he reckons the 2006, to be bottled in the new year, and the 2007 are equally good, “if not better”. Eighty per cent of his wine is sold abroad, including 15 per cent to Britain, the biggest buyer outside France.