L'Oratoire des Papes : Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015

Characteristics and tasting tips for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015 Blanc de L'Oratoire des Papes

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a deep gold hue with emerald highlights, reflecting optimal ripeness of the white grapes while retaining a beautiful freshness.

Nose

The nose captivates with its delicacy and complexity. It reveals notes of ripe white fruits, particularly pear and lychee, accompanied by subtle floral touches. Aromas of vanilla and toasted dried fruits complete this elegant bouquet, while spicy nuances add an extra dimension to the whole.

Palate

The attack is round and fleshy, balanced by a mineral tension characteristic of the limestone terroirs of the appellation. The palate reveals a beautiful indulgence with flavors of pear, lychee and vanilla. The structure displays a remarkable balance between the sweetness of ripe fruit and mineral freshness, enhanced by a salinity that gives the wine an exceptional length on the palate and crystalline purity. The finish lingers with persistence, leaving an impression of freshness and elegance.

Food and wine pairing

This Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2015 is an ideal companion for fish in sauce and pike quenelles. It also pairs beautifully with a seafood and shellfish platter featuring lobster, spiny lobster or king prawns, where its saline minerality naturally enhances the marine flavors. Fresh goat's cheese makes a perfect match, as does foie gras, whose richness is balanced by the wine's structure and minerality. Smoked fish, particularly salmon or wild trout, also benefit from the freshness and salinity of this exceptional white wine.

Serving and storage

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc L'Oratoire des Papes 2015 should be served at a temperature between 50 and 54°F to fully reveal its aromatic complexity. Although this wine is already very enjoyable to drink, it has excellent aging potential and will gain in depth with a few additional years of cellaring, developing riper and spicier aromas while retaining its mineral tension.

An elegant and beautifully vibrant white Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The estate
L'Oratoire des Papes traces its origins to 1880, when Édouard Amouroux inherited through marriage a vineyard plot featuring an oratory dedicated to Saint Mark. In 1926, his son Léonce founded Maison Amouroux and renamed the property "Clos de l'Oratoire des Papes," in reference to the fourteenth-century popes who established Châteauneuf-du-Pape as their summer residence. Since 2000, the estate has belonged to the Ogier group, a subsidiary of AdVini, and has benefited from significant investments while preserving its historic identity. Under the direction of François Miquel and the technical oversight of Édouard Guérin, L'Oratoire des Papes today extends over approximately one hundred acres spread across eighty-five plots in the Rhône Valley. The estate stands out for its rigorous scientific approach and its commitment to organic farming since 2008, producing wines recognized worldwide for their elegance and pure expression of terroir.

The vineyard

The Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is produced from plots planted on the limestone chip and sandy soil terroirs of the appellation. These vines benefit from excellent sun exposure and the cleansing influence of the mistral, the characteristic wind of the southern Rhône Valley. The exceptional geological diversity of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, stemming from three distinct geological eras, imparts remarkable aromatic complexity and gustatory depth to the wines. The estate practices rigorous organic viticulture, with living soils enriched by natural composts and massal selection of plants from old vines. This terroir-respectful approach yields grapes in perfect sanitary condition, fully expressing the mineral character and freshness typical of the appellation's limestone terroirs.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage represents an exceptionally generous year for Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Spring saw relatively normal rainfall, while summer proved dry and hot with several days exceeding 99°F. Sunshine reached 1,941 hours between April and September, surpassing even the renowned 2010 and 2011 vintages. Despite this intense heat, beneficial storms arrived in mid-August then again in late August and early September, providing the necessary moisture without affecting berry quality. The white grapes were harvested at the end of August under ideal ripeness conditions. This vintage stands out for its generosity in golden color, structure and maturity, producing whites with aromas of white and yellow flowers, notes of exotic fruits and white peaches, complemented by refreshing bitter notes and characteristic spicy finishes.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc L'Oratoire des Papes 2015 is carried out by hand with meticulous cluster sorting. A direct whole-cluster pressing is performed, followed by partial settling that preserves the fine lees, which will contribute to the wine's final texture. Fermentation combines two distinct protocols: 80% of the blend ferments in tulip-shaped concrete tanks at 15 to 18°C, then is aged on total lees without malolactic fermentation. These tulip-shaped tanks create a unique vortex phenomenon that keeps the fine lees in suspension, benefiting from continuous natural stirring. The remaining 20% ferments in 300-liter barrels with moderate stirring. This dual aging strategy produces a remarkable balance between pure freshness and integrated complexity, preserving the direct expression of terroir and the minerality characteristic of the appellation.

Grape varieties

Clairette, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Piquepoul and Picardan.