Chateauneuf-Du-Pape Report the 2009 Vintage
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Chateauneuf-du-Pape Report The 2009 Vintage web: jjbuckley.com phone: 888.85.wines (888.859.4637) email: [email protected] twitter: @jjbuckleywines 7305 edgewater drive, suite d | oakland, ca 94621 TABLE OF CONTENTS Top Wine Picks 3 Introduction 4 History 5 Land, Soil & Weather 6-7 The Grapes 8 Styles & Winemaking 9 Tradition 10 The Market 11 Parker 12 Aging 13 Aging Guide 14 Vintage Guide 15-16 Estate Profiles 17-32 2009 Tasting Notes 33-45 Photographs 46-47 About This Report 48 2 TOP CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE PICKS The 10 Favorite Wines of the Visit JJ Buckley‘s Top Picks for 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape 2009 Bastide Saint Dominique ―Les Hesperides‖ 2009 Clos St Jean ―Deus Ex Machina‖ 2009 Domaine de la Solitude (Best Value) 2009 Oliver Hillaire ―Les Petits Pieds d‘Armand‖ 2009 Saint Prefert ―Collection Charles Giraud‖ Favorites from other vintages 1990 Chateau Beaucastel 2007 Domaine de la Solitude ―La Reserve Secrete‖ 2007 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne 2008 Domaine la Barroche ―Signature‖ 2008 Domaine Vieux Telegraphe 3 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE As fun to visit as it is to say There has been a close relationship be- Perhaps consumers and members of the Sometimes it takes a shot in the arm to tween Chateauneuf du Pape and Ameri- wine industry are so comfortable with realize that magical quality of a wine can wine consumers for decades and it idea of Chateauneuf du Pape that we region, and our booster was a five day has existed for many reasons. For in- forget about the reality of it. Consumers immersion in the wines of the region. stance, many of the first wine guides know that the wines of the greater Cotes Traveling the winding roads through published after the repeal of Prohibition du Rhone region are incredible values, plots of small, gnarled vines, we tasted helped to introduce these wines to a and we in the trade are guilty of featur- hundreds of wines and engaged in con- thirsty country. Others trace the popu- ing Gigondas and Vacqueyras as ―poor versations with winemakers across ta- larity of the region‘s wines to the years man's Chateauneuf.‖ We know of Cha- bles and in dark cellars. It was pure just after World War II, as soldiers re- teauneuf‘s rock-laden soils and old cas- seduction, and now we‘re hooked. turned to America with a newly devel- tles on hills, yet it does not reside on the Again. In this report, we hope you find oped taste for the wines they had dis- list of top destinations for wine tourism. the region—its history, its people and, covered near the battlefields. My own And I am just as guilty as anyone. With ultimately, its wines—as charming as theory is that Americans, not comforta- 25 years in the business and countless we did. ble with French pronunciation, enjoyed trips to France, I have only been there how easily the words ‗Chateauneuf du twice! Pape‘ rolled off the tongue. To this day, I can remember seeing phonetic spell- ings of those very words when I went with my parents to liquor stores or read the wine list at a posh restaurant. Yet even though the wines of the region have obtained an adequate level of awareness, they have never garnered the reputation held by their neighbors in Bordeaux or Burgundy. Robert Parker lamented this lack of recognition years ago and made this remark in October 1995: The JJB team embarking on their Rhone journey “I have always wondered why Châteauneuf du Papes are not immensely popular… Since Châteauneuf du Pape tends to be a wine for hedonists (real wine drinkers) rather than the wine intelligentsia (who prefer writing and talking about wine to actually consuming it), the region has received appallingly little press coverage. But if you are drinking wine for pure hedonism, few wines deliver the pleasure and completeness of a top-notch Châteauneuf du Pape.” 4 HISTORY The papacy and the precedents With increased popularity came a few interesting problems. Following World War I, area growers realized fraud was rapidly tarnishing the reputation of Chateauneuf. During this time, the bulk of the region's wines were being pur- chased by negociants and sold off to Burgundian winemakers as vin de medicin in order to add body and color to their wines. At the same time, estates Old foudre at Chateau Fortia Ruins of a papal castle such as Fortia and La Nerthe decided to Grapes have been grown in Cha- estate-bottle their wines and started to Finally, after a few false starts, Pierre Le teauneuf du Pape for centuries, even command high prices. With the in- Roy, owner of Chateau Fortia, formed a before the village became home to the creased demand for the region‘s wines committee of local vignerons to set up succession of popes that later gave the at both the high and low ends of the rules and regulations to govern the wine its name. While certainly the drink market, there was lots of incentive to winemaking and viticultural practices of choice within the region, outside of produce poor quality wines or source in the region. Wines which met all the Chateauneuf, the popularity of their grapes from outside of Chateauneuf. necessary requirements earned the right wines ebbed and flowed according to to be called Chateauneuf du Pape. the whims of the market and at the mer- Many of the regulations agreed upon in cy of numerous political obstacles. It the 1930s remain in effect today, and in wasn‘t until a new wave of export mar- conjunction with the French govern- kets developed in the late 19th century ment, possess the force of law. These that Chateauneuf began to enjoy some later became the foundation of the Ap- international renown. Around this time, pellation d'Controllee codes that govern the village of Chateauneuf Calcernier, winemaking and grape growing the regional winemaking center, was throughout France today. renamed Chateauneuf-du-Pape to take advantage of the area's historical past. The AOC regulations for Chateauneuf du Pape Wines —Wines must be made from 18 approved varieties (revised from 13 in 1998). —All wine must have minimum alcohol of 12.5%. —No chapitalization. —Vines must be pruned according to certain procedures. —Wines can only be irrigated during drought conditions. —The production of rose wines is not allowed. —All harvesting must be manual. 5 LAND, SOIL, & WEATHER Between a rock and a hard place The demarcated growing area for Cha- While the stones give Chateauneuf du Realizing the differences in the soils of teauneuf du Pape is quite limited in Pape its identifying surface character, Chateauneuf, some subtle, others strik- size, as it is restricted by legal regula- the underlying soil types vary consider- ing, will become increasingly important tions. Located a quick 20 minute drive ably, even within individual plots. Cer- as wineries expand the practice of re- from the historic town of Avignon, the tain terroirs express themselves clearly, leasing wines from single sites, often compact region measures 50 square while others are only understood by the referred to as lieu-dits. Some 134 differ- miles, with 8,000 acres of vineyards growers and winemakers who work ent small plots of varying size and soil planted within the certified area. them. Most subsoils are a varying com- composition have been organized with bination of clay, limestone and sand defined boundaries developed over the centuries. The plots within each lieu-dit If you remember nothing about a visit to with rounded river stones or sharp- are named as well and can be planted to the region, you will certainly never for- edged calcareous rocks lying above. In different varietals on the site‘s array of get a vista of vineyards littered with tasting many of the wines for this re- soils. As in Burgundy, vines within each galets roulés. The smooth, rounded port, it became clear that a soft, yet plot may be owned by a number of fam- stones found in northern areas of Cha- round palate profile that emphasized a ilies and wineries. Most of the smaller teauneuf du Pape are world renowned pure fruit expression came from soils lieu-dits are closer to town and have a and some of the most photographed with very high proportion of sand. Dis- legacy going back centuries, while larg- terrains of any winegrowing region. tinct structural notes with more textural er plots that fan out along the border Many vignerons call these stones tannins in the finish were more appar- were organized later. ―pebbles‖ but they are anything but that ent in wines that came with higher pro- and are frequently the size of a fist. Pol- portions of galets. ished from centuries of erosion by glaci- ers, water and wind, the galets are prized for their heat retention, provid- ing nearby vines extra oomph for ripen- ing. In fact, it seems surprising that no one has made a bumper sticker, yet, that says ‘Chateauneuf du Pape Rocks!’ 6 LAND, SOIL, & WEATHER The plot thickens... Currently, there is no ranking of vine- has also been bolstered by noteworthy A complete understanding about Cha- yard sites or crus as in Burgundy or Al- wines made by Jerome Quiot of Do- teauneuf du Pape would not be possible sace, and the members of the Cha- maine Lazaret and Henri Bonneau, without a quick comment about the teauneuf AOC are not likely to approve whose early-picked vineyard sits upon a weather. It is generally acknowledged such as measure. But as in any region, high plateau, full of large stones and that the temperatures in Chateauneuf certain plots are better than others.