Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Chateauneuf Rhone Wine, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape with wine tasting notes, wine and food pairing tips, best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other important wineries and wine makers from the Rhone valley: Links to all Rhone Valley Wine Producer Profiles

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes started out life as Domaine La Milliere, which was purchased in 1940 by Fernand Arnaud. During the 1940’s, Domaine la Milliere was already bottling and selling a portion of their own wine. Since that time, Domaine la Milliere has remained a family owned winery passing from generation to generation until it was sold in 2019 to the Strasser through Societe Maisons et Vignobles de Provence. The Strasser family have made other investments in Chateauneuf du Pape including the popular restaurant and hotel, La Mere Germaine.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Vineyards, Wines, Winemaking

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes owns 15.5 hectares of vines in the Chateauneuf du Pape appellation. Located in the Cabrieres sector, 14.5 hectares of vines are used for the production of red Chateauneuf du Pape wine.

.5 hectares are reserved for growing grapes to make white Chateauneuf du Pape wine. The terroir is rocks with clay, sand, pebbles and limestone soils.

All vineyard management is done using only 100% organic farming techniques. The vines are old, ranging from 80 to 100 years of age for the red wine grapes. But they also have some of the oldest vines in the appellation.

The oldest vines date all the way back to 1891. The vines that are used for their white wines are some of the older white wine grape vines in the Southern Rhone Valley as they are on average 80 years of age. All the grapes are destemmed before fermentation.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes produces 3 red Chateauneuf du Pape wine and 1 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes also owns 8 hectares of vines in the Cotes du Rhone appellation as well as vines classified as IGP.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Le Couchant is produced from a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes Rouge is produced from 60% Grenache,10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Cinsault and 10% Counoise. The vines are old as they are between 80 and 100 years of age. The vines are well placed in the Cabrieres lieu-dit. The wine is aged in concrete tanks and foudres for 12 months prior to bottling. 5,000 cases are produced each vintage.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape is produced from mostly old vine Grenache planted in sandy soils.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Bessades is produced from a small, 1.3 hectare parcel of vines situated at the peak elevation of their vineyards. The wine, which blends 60% Grenache with 40% Mourvedre is aged in a combination of vats, demi-muids, terracotta eggs and wine globes for 18 months before bottling.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, a blend of 35% Grenache Blanc, 35% Bourboulenc 20% Clairette and 10% Roussanne is aged in 100% new, French oak barrels for 6 months before bottling. Not much white wine is produced here, as they only have .7 hectares of vines devoted to their white with a production of about 100 cases that are produced each year.

When to Drink Domaine Le Prieure des Papes, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes can be enjoyed on the young side. Young vintages can be popped and poured, or decanted for about 1 hour, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes is usually better with 3-4 years of bottle age. Of course that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. In the best vintages the wine should be consumed within 3-12 years after the vintage.

Serving Domaine Le Prieure des Papes with Wine, Food Pairing Tips

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed dishes, sausage, barbecue, grilled meats and cassoulet. Domaine Le Prieure des Papese is also good with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms pasta, eggplant and tomatoes.

The white wine of Domaine Le Prieure des Papes is best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork and veal, as well as Asian cuisine.

Domaine Le Prieure des Papes also owns 12 hectares of vines in the Cotes du Rhone appellation where they produce both red and white wine.

www.la-milliere.com