CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE, VINTAGE 2024

A WINTER THAT BEGAN COLD AND DRY, LATER TURNING WET AND WARM…

2024 began with a dry, cold spell, followed by a period of unseasonably warm, wet weather. As a result, the vines budded early, sometimes ten days ahead of the 2023 vintage. Part of the vineyard, as elsewhere in France, suffered from mildew attacks due to heavy rainfall in the spring (250 mm compared with 50 mm in 2022 and 110 mm in 2023). This rainfall did, however, restore the soil’s water reserves.

A MILD SPRING, LEADING TO EARLY BUDBURST
As we reached the Ice Saints Days, at the end of April and beginning of May, weather conditions changed radically, with dry, cold spells. It wasn’t until early June that temperatures returned to their usual seasonal levels.

A DRY SUMMER, THEN A MODERATELY WET AUTUMN
The summer, marked by very hot weather at the end of July and the beginning of August, with little rain (40 to 80 mm), ended in the first days of September with some welcome showers.

…BUT FAR LESS GENEROUS IN TERMS OF VOLUME THAN THE PREVIOUS VINTAGE!

A PEACEFUL HARVEST
The harvest, which took place under fine weather, allowed the appellation’s winegrowers to harvest and vinify the grapes for this vintage with complete peace of mind.

A SMALL HARVEST WITH GREAT POTENTIAL
Although spared by the frost that hit the southern Rhône Valley at the end of April, yields in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC (an average of 24.9 hl per hectare in 2024) were affected on some estates by the heavy pressure of mildew in the spring, by the coulure (= failure of the fruit to set) on the Grenache vines and by localised hail showers in mid-July. While these events reduced production potential, in no way did they affect the quality of the vintage.

A BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE FOR BOTH RED AND WHITE WINES

A FINE BALANCE
Both the reds and the whites show very good balance overall, with good phenolic ripeness. Acidity levels were often higher than usual, resulting in very good pH levels, a guarantee of quality, stability and ageing potential.

FRESH WHITES
The white wines are highly expressive, marked by freshness and finesse, with floral and citrus aromas. Ageing will give them additional complexity and demonstrate, if proof were still needed, that Châteauneuf-du-Pape whites, just like the reds, can be enjoyed young but also after several years of cellaring.

INTENSE, RIPE REDS
Cool temperatures and rain early September enabled excellent levels of phenolic ripeness to be reached in all black grape varieties. The result is highly aromatic wines with above-average colour intensity and fine, elegant tannins.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds have a strong character due to the relatively higher proportion of Syrah and Mourvèdre in the blends. These two grape varieties, which are less susceptible to coulure than Grenache, express their full aromatic potential, marked by notes of black and red fruit. Wines made from plots harvested later in the season reveal aromas of black olives and liquorice. The Grenache grapes complete this fruity range with surprising notes of morello cherry and grenadine.

KEY FIGURES:

• The total harvest for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in 2024 is around 78,200 hectolitres (- 24% compared to 2023 and -14% compared to the ten-year average), including 7,100 hectolitres of white wine from a total claimed area of 3,135 hectares (i.e. 9% whites out of the total production).
• The overall average yield is around 24.90 hl/ha, i.e. 28 hl/ha for whites and 24.70 hl/ha for reds.
• There are 302 producers in the appellation, a relatively stable number although slightly decreasing over the last three decades.
• 92% of the wines are produced in private cellars, 3% in cooperative cellars and 5% from fresh grapes vinified by the wine trade.
• 35% of the AOC is farm organically or biodynamically.