Château de Vaudieu - Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe l'Avenue 2022

Druvor

Grenache

Tasting note

Even more impressive, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape l'Avenue—tasted as a barrel sample—boasts stunning floral aromas, plus notes of cherries, strawberries and dried spices. Full-bodied and concentrated, yet silky and almost weightless in feel, it even adds a hint of dark chocolate on the lingering finish. Wow.

I covered the 2020 reds and 2021 whites from Vaudieu in Part 1 of this report, but as I also visited Laurent Brechet on my June 2023 trip, I've included reviews of more recent releases here. The estate is a true château, set well back from the main road, with vineyards surrounding it. Brechet seems to be constantly retooling his vineyards in some way; this year he was excited by how the young Cinsault was coming along. He's added Picardan to the mix and top-grafted some vines to Bourboulenc. At a bit more than 10 hectares of white grapes in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, he claims to be the third-largest producer of white in the region. "Demand for white wines is growing," said Brechet, who went on to say that he was considering a project elsewhere in Provence, possibly a partnership with an existing grower. Among the array of red wines, Brechet suggested that he'll be offering a new cuvée from the 2022 vintage, a wine he is calling V. As presented to me during my visit, it will be a blend of three demi-muids, one each from l'Avenue and Amiral G, and one from a parcel of vines located in between those two. Driven by Brechet's quest for ever-higher quality, this estate is becoming a leader in the region.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate