2022 Domaine Durieu "Lucile Avril" Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Lucile Avril checks in as 80% Grenache with the balance Syrah and Mourvèdre, all raised in concrete. It's slightly deeper hued compared to the Bois Lauzon and has a slightly richer, broader style in its ripe black cherries, peppery garrigue, spice, and leather-like nuances. With medium to full body, a beautifully textured mouthfeel, and ripe tannins, it doesn't have the precision of the Bois Lauzon yet brings a more classic, broad, textured profile. Drink bottles over the coming 10-15 years.

Our first vintage with Durieu was 2016—a benchmark year in Châteauneuf, and the wine reflected that quality. It was an instant success, wowing both our team and our clients. What has impressed me most since then is the continuity. Every release since that first vintage has been stellar, and their commitment to elevating Lucile Avril shows in the fact that they even divested other Châteauneuf holdings to focus on making this cuvée truly brilliant. The 2022 is another triumph. A pristinely ripe vintage, it delivers deeply complex fruit—black cherry, currants, red licorice—layered with violet and savory spice. The structure is powerful yet inviting, with meltingly luxurious tannins that give the wine an almost ethereal weight. Stylish without excess, it has that rare balance that makes each sip call for another. This is exactly what I want in Châteauneuf, and few producers deliver it as consistently as Durieu. The 2022 Lucile Avril is a superstar of the category, once again reaching remarkable heights.