From Valley du Rhône, unlock an eternity of flavour.
From Valley du Rhône unlock an eternity of flavour.
In times past, Popes would spend their papacy performing tasks of a more spiritual and mystical nature than political. Legend has it that along their long path of spiritual reflection, Popes enjoyed a Cotes du Rhone famous for expressing the richness and excellence of the local land to perfection. The wine was naturally baptised Chemin des Papes – the Path of the Popes.
The liturgical ferules and mitre that make up the emblem of Chemin des Papes hark back to its past, as does the wine itself: the ruby colour of Chemin des Papes Côtes du Rhône is reminiscent of deep imperial purple, while the spicy nose recalls the aromatic scent you would expect to find in historic places. Its round, warming and spicy palate produces a pleasure that is simply unconfessable…
The brand was created 18 years ago by the first export wine company of France: GCF Group. In 2009, the brand was exported to 84 countries with 2 million bottles sold. Chemin des Papes, an exceedingly mystical wine that will unlock an eternity of flavour…
The Rhône valley is assumed to be France’s oldest wine-growing region, it is believed that vines were first planted there by the Phocaeans. The Romans then developed the wine-making technique. In the 12th century, the Templars planted the first Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.
Today, these vineyards stretch over 70,000 hectares and 200 kilometres. Wines are produced on both banks of the Rhône, with the left bank renowned for wines that are fuller-bodied and headier than those from the other side of the river. A constant improvement in quality has resulted in the wines from this region being compared with the world’s top vintages.
Every year, our winemaker Vincent Euzet selects in the respect of the tradition the best land and wineries in order to shape wines of characters where elegance, velvety and fruit are prevailing. His know-how and his love of the land enable chemin des papes to be regularly awarded in competitions.
Amongst the top AOP regions in France, Côtes-du-Rhône is one of the front-runners in terms of land area and production volumes. From Vienne to Avignon, the « Côtes-du-Rhône » appellation stretches across both banks of the Rhône over 171 communes
and 6 departments: Loire, Rhône, Ardèche, Drôme, Vaucluse and Gard.
There are two sub regions of Rhône wines: the Côtes-du-Rhône septentrional in
the northern part of the region from Vienne to Valence and the Côtes-du-Rhône meridional
in the southern latitudes from Montélimar to Avignon.
Other appellations are produced in this area: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château-Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Cornas, Saint-Péray, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Vinsobres, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, Vacqueyras, Châteauneuf-du-pape, Lirac and Tavel.
The distinctive nature of wines from the Côtes-du-Rhône is down to climate, soils
and grape varieties, all elements that help to produce wonderfully structured, lively wines. But more than these geographic considerations, it is most certainly human commitment that has forged the appellation and given it real personality.
In the Middle Ages, monasteries such as those found in Burgundy began to take over the management of vineyards. This is how Châteauneuf was renamed Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the moment the Popes chose the area as a holiday destination.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the wine of all important occasions. The hillsides lie between Orange and Avignon gracing the finest landscapes of Provence. The soils are particularly photogenic, a sea of pebbles from which emerge gnarled vine stock. There are three types of terroir: rolled pebbles, gravely soils and sandy soils. The appellation's different terroirs are called "quarters" by local wine-growers, and very often vine from all three are used to shape this wine. The appellation enjoys a unique micro-climate, as the sun's heat is stored during the day by pebbles which then returns this warmth at night. This day-night process helps to ensure excellent maturity of grapes.
A brand regularly awarded
Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2011 | Concours général agricole de Paris 2012 | GOLD |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2010 | Concours général agricole de Paris 2011 | GOLD |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | COMMENDED |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge | 2008 | Vinalies Internationales 2009 | SILVER |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2009 | Vinalies Internationales 2010 | SILVER |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | BRONZE |
Côtes-du-Rhône Rosé | 2011 | Saveur de l'année 2012 | |
Côtes-du-Rhône Villages Rouge | 2009 | International Wine Challenge 2010 | COMMENDED |