Clos Saint Jean

The History of Clos Saint Jean

Clos Saint Jean began with Edmond Tacussel, whose family had settled in Châteauneuf-du-Pape after arriving from Greece five centuries earlier. The property took shape around 1900 and adopted its current name in 1910. Originally, the enclosed vineyard covered just a few hectares. Each generation patiently added parcels, eventually creating the roughly 40-hectare property known today, entirely within the appellation.

The estate was one of the first in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to sell its wine in bottles, even before World War I. For much of the 20th century, its wines were made in a very traditional style: long aging in large oak casks, followed by several years of bottle aging before release. The turning point came in the early 2000s, when Pascal and Vincent Maurel, the founder’s great-grandsons, took the reins and began working with consulting enologist Philippe Cambie in 2003. Clos Saint Jean then became a standard-bearer for a modern school of Châteauneuf winemaking, praised by Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and La Revue du Vin de France. Today, Valentin, Hugo and Claire Maurel carry on that legacy, placing greater emphasis on freshness, drinkability and textural finesse without losing the estate’s identity.

The Terroirs and Vines of Clos Saint Jean

The estate’s hallmark is, above all, its rounded stones, the largest in the appellation. Carried by the Rhône after the Alpine glaciers melted, they rest on the clay-limestone bedrock of the La Crau plateau, where the estate owns around 22 hectares. These stones play a crucial thermal role: they absorb heat during the day and release it at night, helping the grapes ripen fully and evenly.

Two named vineyard sites shape the property’s identity, Coteau de Saint Jean and La Cabane de Saint Jean, alongside Les Serres, La Combe des Fous and the sandy soils of Bois Dauphin, where very old Mourvèdre vines grow. The vineyard brings together Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s emblematic varieties: predominantly Grenache Noir, along with Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Vaccarèse and Muscardin for the reds, and Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne for the white, produced from only around one hectare. Vineyard management is measured, with insecticides and other plant-protection treatments kept to an absolute minimum, while yields are controlled through bud thinning and green harvesting. All grapes are harvested by hand and transported to the winery in small crates.

Winemaking at Clos Saint Jean

Around 90% of the red grapes are destemmed, with some whole clusters retained depending on the cuvée and vintage. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled concrete tanks, whose cardinal-purple color has become emblematic of the winery. Maceration is long, averaging 35 days, but extraction remains gentle: rack-and-return for Grenache, with more vigorous punch-downs for Syrah and Mourvèdre.

The aging approach reflects a nuanced understanding of each grape variety. Grenache is almost always aged in concrete, which preserves its fruit and freshness, for 12 to 16 months depending on the cuvée. Syrah and Mourvèdre are aged in barrels and demi-muids, some of which are new. For the whites, the grapes are pressed directly: Grenache Blanc and Clairette ferment and age in stainless steel tanks, while Roussanne is fermented and aged in barrels. Since the return of Valentin Maurel, who trained in Oregon and South Africa, among other places, harvest dates and vineyard practices have been adjusted to keep alcohol levels in check while preserving ripeness and tannin quality.

The Cuvées of Clos Saint Jean

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge: the estate’s benchmark cuvée, dominated by Grenache and complemented by Syrah, Mourvèdre and smaller proportions of other varieties. The Grenache portion is aged for 16 months in concrete tanks. It offers an intense garrigue aroma and a generous red-fruit palate with a lingering finish. A wine that is already enjoyable young but develops delicious complexity over time.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc: produced in very small quantities from around one hectare, this blend combines Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Roussanne. Considered one of the appellation’s finest whites, it brings together roundness, depth and floral freshness.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes: a parcel selection from the estate’s oldest vines, made with proportions close to those of the classic cuvée (around 75% Grenache and 15% Syrah). Its fruit is deeper and darker than that of the standard cuvée, with an impressive mid-palate and supple tannins.

La Combe des Fous: a cult cuvée named after the vineyard site on La Crau, blending around 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and a touch of Vaccarèse and Cinsault, and aged in tanks and demi-muids. Voluptuous and full-bodied, with cherry, licorice, warm spice and toasted anise, sculpted tannins and an extravagantly long finish.

Deus Ex Machina: a tribute to the Maurel family’s spirit of innovation and adaptability, this cuvée traditionally blends 60% Grenache with 40% old-vine Mourvèdre grown in the sands of Bois Dauphin. It is aged in demi-muids, some of them new. Striking elegance, luscious chocolate notes and rare complexity.

Sanctus Sanctorum: the estate’s holy of holies, sourced from a single parcel of very old Grenache vines, aged in a demi-muid and bottled exclusively in magnums, and only in exceptional vintages. Kirsch, dried flowers, garrigue, pepper and incense mark one of the greatest Grenache wines produced anywhere in the world each year.

Sine Fine: the newest cuvée, spearheaded by Valentin Maurel and launched with the 2023 vintage. It blends two-thirds Grenache from sandy soils with one-third Cinsault from clay soils, both aged entirely in concrete. Less extracted and concentrated than the estate’s other wines, it explores a more graceful, easy-drinking style in which Cinsault and Grenache complement each other naturally.