93pts Wine Spectator

A round, distinctive style, with flickers of bacon fat and mocha atop a round, rich core of ripe cherry and warm stone. Lush and streaming in feel, with soft tannins that pick up steam. The ripeness is beautifully held in place by an iron spine. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, Vaccarèse and Muscardin. Drink now through 2040. 

93pts Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider)

Elegant, silky, and fresh, the wine delivers its core of medium-bodied, red pit fruits and berries topped with thyme, pepper, and garrigue from start to finish. Drink from 2026-2037. 

92pts Nicolas Greinacher (Vinous)

The 2023 Châteauneuf-du-Pape shows well—perfumed, seductive and charming with glossy red fruits, garrigue and peppery accents. Full-bodied, polished and concentrated, the 2023 is a success that outperforms the 2021 vintage, though it doesn't quite reach the same lofty heights as the 2022 did last year. Drink: 2026-2036. 

91pts Jeb Dunnuck

Rocking levels of kirsch, peppery garrigue, Provençal spices, and flowers all emerge from the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape. Medium-bodied and balanced, it has a beautifully textured, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink bottles over the coming 15 years. Drink: 2025-2040. 

Winemaker Notes

This wine is on the richer, darker side for Châteauneuf-du-pape. Only 75% grenache with an underpining of Syrah, Mourvèdre and other Rhône varietals, this wine presents beautiful notes of ripe blackberry, dark plum and dried green herbs.

Blend:  75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% other varieties

Winery Notes

Clos Saint Jean has been bottling estate wines since the early twentieth century, however, the estate dates back much further. Now on their fifth generation of wine making, the house gained more notable distiction in the early 2000s after Philippe Cambie was hired to consult. Since then their wines have improved year-on-year with Clos Saint Jean becoming a top tier producer in Châteauneuf-du-pape.

This 'Vieilles Vignes' label is only produced for the US market with a concentration on their older vines (planted in 1905) to increase the intensity and complexity of this entry label. The grenache is aged in concrete while the other varietals are aged in old barriques. Even in this entry label Clos Saint Jean's voluptuous and expressive tradmark style shines through. This wine is marked by rich dark fruit with earthy undertones that are framed by supple tannins.