Clos Saint Jean
Clos Saint Jean

Clos Saint Jean

The brothers Pacsal and Vincent Maurel, with a little help from the larger-than-life and near-ubiquitous consultant Philippe Cambie, continue to work wonders with this famous old Châteauneuf du Pape Domaine Clos St. Jean.

The brothers look after 48 hectares of vines including some spectacular parcels of old vines. Out of their 48 hectares, only 1 hectare is planted with white grape varietals. The majority of their holdings are in the southeastern sector of the appellation, in the region of Le Crau. The plateau of Le Crau is perhaps the most iconic of the many terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with iron-rich red clays topped with pebbles. The vines here are between 60 and 100-year-old. While about 60% of their vineyards are located on the plateau, specifically in the lieu-dits of Côteau de Saint-Jean and Cabane de Saint-Jean, another 40% are located in alluvial clay and sandy soils adjacent to the plateau. They also own a small parcel of Mourvedre in the lieu-dit of Bois-Dauphin near Château Rayas planted on sandy, limestone-rich soils. The wine property is similar in size to Beaucastel and also has some spectacular parcels of old vines, its centurion-holders mainly situated on the Crau plateau. The winemaking here is traditional, yet the wines themselves seem to marry tradition and modernity with effortless aplomb.