It’s Appy Friday with “a benchmark estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape” per Wine Advocate.

Wine cognoscenti! Collectors and aficionados! 2024 CLOS DES PAPES FRESH OFF DA BOAT!

An instant classic and much sought-after year after year. It always brings in huge scores. Like 98 points for this one, a rare CdP that “will be quite Burgundian with age” per Decanter.

That we have ANY is an extraordinary feat. To have it at this unobtanium-type wine for HALF OFF? Pure madness.

Clos des Papes is one of the most prolific producers in all of Châteauneuf. Always bursting at the seams as a top-rated wine in every vintage. Owner Paul Avril makes these in a more ‘Burgundian’ style - not as concentrated and brawny, but showing off that rounder, polished, and ethereal quality that the greatest Rhône reds are known for.

What do we think? Words fall short here; we’re rendered speechless. If you know the name, that should be all you need to rush through the checkout at this rock-bottom points-per-dollar price.

Wine Advocate explains, “Rather than pursuing innovation for its own sake, the Domaine has refined traditional practices with quiet rigor and unwavering fidelity to terroir. The estate farms around 40 hectares divided into more than 30 parcels across diverse soils. All 13 permitted grape varieties are cultivated organically, with minimal treatments. Yields are kept deliberately low to preserve concentration and balance in warm vintages. Harvest is entirely manual, with parcel-specific timing; whites are picked early for freshness, while reds are picked at full maturity but never overripe. Grapes arrive intact, without mechanical intervention. In the cellar, fermentations rely exclusively on indigenous yeasts. Reds are 100% destemmed - a practice established fully in 1991 - and vinified by parcel or co-fermented, depending on the year. No enzymes, acidification or aggressive extractions are employed; macerations are long and gentle, with restrained remontage and pigeage. Élevage lasts 15-18 months in large, neutral foudres, some over a century old, with no new oak and minimal fining or filtration. The reds emphasize aromatic clarity, ripe but fine tannins, vivid fruit and long aging potential. Production focuses on two wines only - a red and a white - Clos des Papes embodies traditionalism adapted to modern challenges: adjustments in picking dates, variety proportions and selection practices address climate change, but there is no new oak, over-ripeness or extraction excess. Paul-Vincent Avril’s methodical approach aims not to reinvent the appellation but to render its nuances with precision and consistency year after year.”

No doubt more huge scores will roll in. We rarely see a deal more astounding, compelling, and straight-up irresistible.

If Châteauneuf gets your blood pumping, you MUST grab all you can. THIS ONE IS LIMITED!!

98 Points – Decanter “Juicy, fresh, blackberry-tinged, vibrant, precise and fresh. Subtle violet note with raspberry, minerals, and great length. Will be quite Burgundian with age, feels like a classic vintage, and you don’t feel the 14.5% alcohol at all. All destemmed, aged in old foudres, yields of just 17hl/ha. 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. Drink 2031-2055.”