Peter Maude Fine Wines
2005, Domaine Paul Avril, CLOS DES PAPES, Rouge
$496.80 inc. GST
Jo Charvill - at the domaine June 2026
The 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape is elegance personified, opening with dried herbs, cassis, tobacco and forest floor, complex but without any distracting mushroom tones. It shows superbly after 90 minutes in a carafe, full-bodied and concentrated with resolved tannins carrying the long, generous finale. Don’t pop and pour, as this wine demands patience to reveal its full range. It will continue to age well for at least another 15 years if stored in a cool cellar. 2025-2040.
96 Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous - December 2025
Deep red. Explosively perfumed nose offers a profound bouquet of red and dark berries, liqorice, incense and musky underbrush. Broad, palate-staining raspberry and blackcurrant flavours are enveloped in velvety tannins, with suave anise and Asian spices adding complexity. This remarkable Chateauneuf has the sheer sex appeal to enjoy young but also possesses superb cellaring potential. I'd hold mine.
95 Josh Raynolds, Vinous - January 2008
A beautiful vintage in the southern Rhône, hot and dry, which produced wines of power and finesse. It is full-bodied and very rich on the palate, with sweet strawberry and plum fruit. A plump, autumnal Châteauneuf of real elegance and detail, with a long and satisfying finish. 2022-2032
97 Matt Walls, Decanter.