Clos des Papes, Chateauneauf du Pape Blanc 2020, [Pre-Arrival]

97 points Decanter
"Citrusy and grapefruit-led thanks to the Bourboulenc. Touch of anise, touch of fennel, lovely acidity and freshness, with a gentle saline line. Generous but only just full-bodied, this shows liveliness and more depth than many white Châteauneufs this year. Long finish. No malolactic and no oak use."

96 points Jeb Dunnuck
"From a great vintage for the whites (as well as the reds), the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc offers a classic, vibrant, medium-bodied style as well as lots of citrus and white grapefruit, a distinct, rocky, mineral character, good acidity, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. Give it a year and enjoy over the following two decades or more."

96 points Wine Spectator
"Super fresh style, with fennel, lime, kiwi, white peach and honeysuckle notes all breezing through in unison and carried by lacy acidity through a well-detailed finish. This is approachable now for its brightness, but has the inner purity and sneaky length to age nicely as well. Drink now through 2032."

Vinous Reverie Notes
Clos des Papes is one of the great established names of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, aptly named since a parcel of the land there is nearby the pope’s castle and has been surrounded by walls (clos). The family has been living in the village for centuries and were among the people who created the appellation for the village, the first in France to do so. It is currently run by winemaker Paul-Vincent Avril who attended wine school in Burgundy in the 1980’s, and after working abroad returned home to work with his father in 1988. Since then he has succeeded to make what many regard as the best single example of the appellation producing just one red wine and one white wine–no special cuvees. The property has today 40 ha, 3 of which are planted to white varieties with 30 different parcels spread around the village. The white Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made from almost equal percentages of all the six permitted white varieties (Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Picpoul and Picardan) which are co-fermented in two separate ferments, one for early ripening varieties and the second for the late ripening varieties.