I Châteauneuf-du-Pape er det øverste lag af sten store og runde med en diameter på op til 30 cm; og kaldes derfor ”galets roulèes”, rullesten. Rullestenene er det mest karakteristiske fællestræk for området, som dækker fem kommuner: Kommunen Châteauneuf-du Pape, Orange, Courthézon, Bédarrides og Sorgues.
De største sten ligger på de højeste plateauer i et landskab med bløde bakker, hvor de mindre sten er skyllet ned ad skråningerne. Her fungerer stenene som varmedunke, efter solen har varmet jorden op. Samtidigt er stenene er næsten optimalt dræn og tvinger vinens rødder til at gå dybt ned efter vand og næring.

Det var pave Johannes XXII, der i 1300-tallet opførte det slot, hvis ruin i dag ses i horisonten.

Robert Parker om årgang (2005) 2006 og 2007 i Wine Advocate #179:

Focus on Chateauneuf du Pape

The Excellent 2006s and Vintage of a Lifetime 2007s

2007: Throughout the southern Rhône, 2007 is the greatest vintage I have tasted in my thirty years working in that region. In a future issue, my enthusiastic notes about Gigondas, Vacqueyras, and the other Côtes du Rhônes will be published. Nearly every producer has attained largely unprecedented levels of quality. Moreover, the vintage is remarkably consistent from top to bottom.

As for Châteauneuf du Pape, that appellation has had an unprecedented succession of superlative vintages. Forgetting the historic washout in 2002, every vintage between 1998 and 2007 has had both high quality and something different to offer stylistically. Where does 2007 fit. Think of 2007 as a hypothetical blend of an opulent, powerful, sumptuous year such as 1990, and a cooler drought vintage such as 2001. The cool weather and the remarkable three weeks of Mistral in September that concentrated the grapes without any spikes of high heat appears to have given the 2007s an aromatic dimension and freshness that I have rarely witnessed. Combine that with wines that are substantial, powerful, and relatively high in alcohol, with super depth of fruit! These are very aromatic wines of great concentration, freshness, laser-like focus, and amazing purity as well as depth. It is the vintage of my lifetime for this region, and I don’t say that lightly. These 2007s will also be very long-lived given their extraordinary balance.

In terms of climate, it was a cooler than normal vintage, and Châteauneuf du Pape experienced a severe drought between late spring and the end of September. This, plus the three weeks of Mistral, and the lack of any heat spells concentrated the grapes to extraordinary levels, and also provided the remarkable aromatic profiles and stunning freshness and vibrancy found in the 2007s.

2006: As I indicated last year, this vintage has turned out significantly better than I had initially expected. It is also an exceptional vintage for the white wines. The reds are full-bodied, charming, and fruity, with relatively low acidity and ripe tannin. They are in total contrast to the behemoth, massive 2005s, but because of their terrific balance, immediate accessibility, purity, and superb aromatic profiles, this will be an underrated vintage, especially since it is stuck between the bigger, more muscular, masculine 2005s and the historic 2007s. The 2006s are fruit-forward and charming, and the finest efforts are stunning. I believe they will age much longer than many people suspect given their intrinsic equilibrium/harmony.

—Robert Parker