If you’ve read any of my comments, it might not come as a big surprise for you that I’m not the biggest fan of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
However, there have been lots of great Papes that I have actually enjoyed. Based on my previous experience, I’ve thought Clos des Papes is one of the greatest producers in the region (along with names like Rayas, Beaucastel, Mordorée etc.) - which is why I was pretty interested about this tasting.
Well, having now plowed through these wines, I might have to reconsider my stance. Not really whether Clos des Papes is among the top producers of the region or not, but if I should just dismiss Châteauneuf-du-Pape entirely. Almost all the Papes I have enjoyed have been from 2010 or older, whereas it seems that even the producers that used to make some of the greatest Papes of yesteryear are unable to make enjoyable wines anymore.
Sure, most of the wines I enjoyed were still super young - some even candied and primary in character - and they might evolve and improve considerably with age. However, none of the great older wines I have enjoyed have been this high in alcohol (many clocking in at 15,5%!) and this low in acidity. Even if they turn more interesting over the years, I doubt any amount of cellaring will help the fact that many of these wines were just hot, soft and flabby.
Not 2013, though. That was a great wine.
To those who are unfamiliar with the producer (are there such people?): Clos des Papes is one of the oldest producers in the region and generally considered to be one of the greatest, too. The Avril family has lived in and around Châteauneuf-du-Pape for centuries and Paul Avril, the great-grandfather of the current owner Paul-Vincent Avril, started to sell his own wine under the Clos des Papes name already in 1896. At the moment the winery is run by the fourth generation.
Of the 40 hectares of organically farmed vineyards, only 3 hectares are reserved for the white varieties. Most of the production is red wine and unlike many other producers, Clos des Papes grows not only the classic trio of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, but also some of the lesser-known ones. Instead of harvesting and vinifying every different variety separately, all the vineyards are vinified separately but co-fermented all different grape varieties together.
The wines are made in a very traditionalist fashion: since 1991 all the red varieties have been fully destemmed; fermentations are spontaneous; wines are aged in large foudres of different sizes for 12-18 months. What’s interesting, though, is that the winery makes only two wines: one red (90% of the production) and one white (10% of the production). They don’t purchase any grapes, but they don’t sell off any grapes or wine in bulk, either. The idea is that all the selection must be made in the vineyard - everything that is harvested, gets in the wine as well. This probably explains why the yields for Clos des Papes are ridiculously small - and why the wines are so huge and super-ripe in these hot vintages we have now.
As you can see, we had also some extra blinds before and after the Papes:
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2016 Gini Soave Classico La Frosca - Italy, Veneto, Soave Classico (24.3.2023)
100% organically farmed Garganega from the 6-hectare La Froscà cru planted in the 1930 on the volcanic soil of Soave Classico. Fermented spontaneously and aged in stainless steel (75-80%) and old oak casks (20-25%). Bottled with minimal sulfites. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Intense, luminous neon yellow-green color. The nose feels remarkably youthful - borderline primary - with expressive, sweet-toned aromas of mirabelle plums, some ripe pear, a little bit of waxy funk, light notes of hay and slivered almonds, a hint of apple jam and a touch of earthy spices. The wine feels clean, youthful and ever-so-slightly soft on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and juicy, somewhat linear flavors of golden apples, some hay, a little bit of sweet white peach, light spicy tones, a hint of ripe pear and a touch of waxy funk. The moderately high acidity makes the wine feel pretty balanced, although a bit more zip couldn't hurt the wine. The finish is ripe and juicy with a quite lengthy aftertaste of ripe Golden Delicious apple, some pear, a little bit of waxy funk, light spicy nuances, a hint of hay and a touch of mirabelle plums.
A nice, balanced and still remarkably youthful single-vineyard Soave that comes across as a bit simple and straightforward - probably due to its youthful disposition. The overall impression is dominated by the very ripe, at times even primary fruit flavors, which only accentuate the subtle softness in the mouthfeel, making the wine feel slightly mundane. I hope the wine drops some of that baby fat and comes across as less soft and tropical and more savory and complex with further age - but it's certainly possible the wine only puts on more weight and rounds out with further age. I really don't know where to stand with this wine: on the one hand, I enjoyed the wine - and found it pretty typical for the region, identifying it quite quickly as a Soave - and found it pretty balanced as a whole, yet on the other, I wished for something more from a single-vineyard Soave Classico from Gini.
(89 points) -
2020 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (55%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 5,0 g/l acidity.
Somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a youthful blueish hue. The nose feels very primary with almost candied Beaujolais Nouveau-like fermentation aromas along with aromas of strawberries and raspberry jelly, some lactic notes of blueberry yogurt, light bilberry tones, a little bit of savory spice and a hint of sun-baked earth. The wine feels juicy, ripe and youthful on the palate with a full body and sweet, primary blue-toned fruit flavors, some boysenberry tones, a little bit of plummy fruit, light lactic notes of blueberry yogurt, a hint of soft strawberries and a touch of raspberry jelly. The overall feel is somewhat generic and anonymous. The medium acidity and light medium tannins don't really bring much structure to the wine. The finish is ripe, juicy and quite primary with a soft, medium-long aftertaste of bilberries and boysenberry yogurt, some earthy tones, a little bit of sunny strawberry character, light plummy nuances and a hint of kirsch. The high alcohol lends some obvious warmth to the finish.
Meh. This was just way too young and primary, coming across as very anonymous and generic in character. The primary fermentation esters effectively masked away any savory complexity, making the wine come across as quite candied in nature, and the lactic notes from the MLF were still very much to the fore, adding a somewhat yogurt-like note to the flavors. Most likely the wine will show a lot better after a few years, once the primary fruit flavors and lactic MLF tones have disappeared, but even then aging can't really remediate the problematic low-ish acidity and a bit too high alcohol. According to the producer, this 2020 is supposed to be an elegant vintage in contrast to the more powerful 2019 vintage, but for me the wine felt just generic, banal and too soft. Feels heavily overpriced for the quality at 109,90€.
(84 points) -
2019 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (65%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 4,9 g/l acidity.
Somewhat translucent ruby-red color with a faint, vaguely purplish hue. The nose feels bold, rich and rather alcoholic with bold aromas of ripe dark fruits, some kirsch, a little bit of juicy red plum, light earthy and herby notes of garrigue, a candied hint of sweet primary fruit and a touch of strawberry. The wine feels dense, ripe and chewy on the palate with a very full body and quite concentrated flavors of juicy dark fruits, red plums and strawberries, some earthy notes of garrigue, a little bit of roasted gamey meat, light blueberry tones, a hint of kirsch and a touch of peppery spice. For such a big and ripe wine, the wine shows relatively good sense of structure, thanks to its medium-to-moderately high acidity and balanced, moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. However, there is no denying that the wine is very hot - even at cellar temp the 15,5% shows quite a lot and the boozy heat becomes only more apparent as the wine warms up. The finish is rich, juicy and somewhat grippy with a moderately long aftertaste of youthful dark fruits, some ripe blueberries, a little bit of sweet strawberry, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of kirsch. The high alcohol becomes only more apparent as the flavors fade and the alcohol heat just lingers on your palate.
The producer has described their 2020 Pape as the "elegant" vintage and the 2019 vintage as the "powerful" vintage. Well, at least I can agree with the "power" part - this vintage is just ridiculously ripe, resulting in a very big and excessively alcoholic wine. I do admit that the wine is remarkably balanced for such a big wine - the fruit department hasn't turned pruney nor does it even feel too sweet at any point, the acidity is surprisingly high for such a big and ripe wine and the tannins are remarkably balanced: they feel ripe yet ample and grippy enough to bring good sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. I guess my biggest beef is with the ridiculous ABV - had this been clocking in at 14%, the wine would've been pretty enjoyable and rather promising, aging-wise. However, now the wine feels very alcoholic right from the first sniff, and things don't get any better as the wine sits in the glass. On the contrary, the heat from the alcohol simply grows in intensity as the drinking temperature goes up. Even if the wine is otherwise pretty enjoyable, the boozy in-your-face alcohol takes a big toll on the drinkability (and the score) here. This wine might get somewhat better with additional aging, but be warned: there's no way around how this will always be a hot alcohol monster, no matter how old it gets. Not really worth the price at 99,89€.
(87 points) -
2018 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
Due to the very difficult vintage in which the producer lost most of their crop, the blend is atypically Mourvèdre-heavy this year. The wine is a blend of organically farmed Grenache (50%), Mourvèdre (40%) and Syrah (5%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 5,3 g/l acidity.
Slightly translucent black cherry color. The brooding nose feels youthful but also rather dark-toned with quite lush aromas of dark plums, some red licorice, a little bit of licorice root and garrigue, light gamey tones, a hint of peppery spice, a brambly touch of black raspberries and a whiff of kirsch. The wine feels ripe, rich and open-knit on the palate with a full body and juicy flavors of ripe blackberries and dark plums, some red licorice, a little bit of savory spices, light wild strawberry tones, a hint of kirsch and a touch of garrigue. The overall feel is a bit soft and round due to the medium acidity and ripe medium tannins along with some warmth from the rather high alcohol. The finish is ripe, a bit soft and slightly warm with a rather long aftertaste of savory spices and ripe forest fruits, some red licorice, a little bit of meaty umami, light earthy notes of garrigue, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of juicy dark plums.
A pleasant but also rather noticeably ripe, round and soft Châteauneuf-du-Pape with nice savory overall flavor profile but with a bit too much alcohol and a bit too little acidity and tannins for such a substantial wine. I'm not sure if it's because of the higher Mourvèdre content, but in our Clos des Papes 2020-2003 vertical the wine the wine stood out stylistically from the other vintages due to its somewhat darker-toned, more savory fruit profile - the overall Clos des Papes style seemed to be a bit sweeter and more red-toned in character. However, this didn't really help the wine as it came across as too ripe, warm and soft for my preference. Even though Châteauneuf-du-Pape is stylistically a big and ripe wine, I'd still like my CdP to show a bit more freshness and structure. I guess the wine might evolve and improve to some extent with further cellaring, but I doubt this vintage will ever develop into something particularly elegant - even if the producer describes the vintage as "elegant" as opposed to the "powerful" 2019 and 2017 vintages. At 104,90€ the price doesn't really make sense.
(86 points) -
2017 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (45%), Mourvèdre (40%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 4,9 g/l acidity.
Relatively dark-toned yet still moderately translucent pomegranate red color. The nose feels dull, understated and a bit pungent with rather vague aromas of earth, some beef jerky, a little bit of rancio and a hint of damp leaves. The high alcohol lends a boozy, hot punch to the overall impression. It's hard to say whether the wine is slightly cooked, slightly corked, or both. The wine feels dense, slightly sweet and noticeably full-bodied on the palate with noticeably reticent, almost nonexistent flavors of raisiny dark fruit, some raisiny tones, a little bit of earth, light salty notes of rancio and a hint of damp forest floor. The wine is modest-to-medium in acidity with ripe, gently textural medium-minus tannins, resulting in a rather soft and flabby overall feel. The finish is short, subtly grippy and VERY hot with an almost nonexistent, dull aftertaste of earth and vague beef jerky tones.
This was obviously off somehow. I can't be sure, but it felt the wine was slightly cooked and slightly corked both at the same time. Based on the huge, soft body of the wine and its excessive level of alcohol, I feel I didn't miss much.
(NR/flawed) -
2016 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (60%), Mourvèdre (25%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 5,2 g/l acidity.
Very deep and slightly translucent black cherry color. The nose feels ripe and quite sweet-toned, but also somewhat understated with a bit reticent aromas of juicy black raspberries and dark plums, some blackberry tones, a little bit of herby garrigue, light meaty and spicy notes of Mourvèdre and a hint of wild strawberry. Despite its obvious ripeness, the overall feel is more savory and dark-toned rather than sweet and jammy. The wine feels dense, chewy and relatively focused on the palate with a full body and still pretty youthful and juicy flavors of dark berries and sweet plums, even some pruney tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light blackberry nuances, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of garrigue. The wine feels pretty muscular and nicely structured with its relatively high acidity and firm, moderately grippy tannins, and the high alcohol lends a bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with some tannic grip and a lengthy aftertaste of juicy blackberries, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light meaty - even gamey - notes, a hint of peppery spice and a red-toned touch of strawberry. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a moderately warm note.
A surprisingly firm and balanced vintage of Clos des Papes - even when the wine clocks in at whopping 15,5% alcohol. In our vertical of Clos des Papes 2020-2003, this wine was the first vintage that I found balanced enough to be enjoyable - all the younger vintages prior to this felt either too primary or just too soft, jammy or excessively alcoholic. Even if this wine suffers a bit from too high alcohol, it doesn't come across as too sweet, soft or dominated by candied primary fruit flavors. The overall style is quite similar to the 2018 vintage, which was similarly more savory and darker-toned than Clos des Papes normally is - only with better sense of structure and harmony. Although this wine is maybe a bit generic and predictable for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the moment, I feel this vintage shows enough aging potential to become something pretty impressive with enough age. However, at 109,96€ I feel the wine is simply too expensive for its quality.
(90 points) -
2015 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (55%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 5 g/l acidity.
Moderately translucent and somewhat evolved pomegranate color. The nose feels wonderfully fragrant with distinctive aromas of strawberries and floral aromas of violets and lilacs, some odd honeyed tones that remind me of red Beerenauslese wines, a little bit of dried red fruits, light raspberry jam tones, a hint of wizened bilberries, a hint of cloudberry and a touch of arctic bramble. The overall aroma profile is very unlike any other Clos des Papes I've had. The wine feels dense, concentrated and vibrant on the palate, but - surprisingly for the warm vintage 2015 - not that big for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a moderately full body and intense flavors of raspberries and arctic brambles, some floral notes of violets, a little bit of weird honeyed character, light meaty notes of umami, an exotic hint of tonka beans and Ceylon cinnamon and a touch of dried dark fruits. The medium acidity feels pretty modest and soft, but at least the ripe yet moderately grippy tannins lend some welcome firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is juicy, savory and moderately grippy with a long, nuanced aftertaste of blueberries and arctic brambles, some fragrant floral tones, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light dried-fruit notes of prunes and raisins, a savory hint of meaty umami and an offbeat touch of tonka beans. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a quite warm note.
A fascinating, somewhat atypical and wonderfully fragrant vintage of Clos des Papes with a very distinctive aromatic profile - the peculiar character of the wine became really obvious in our 2020-2003 Clos des Papes vertical. What was the most surprising thing that despite the hot 2015 vintage, the wine wasn't nearly as big, sweet or alcoholic as some of the younger vintages - Clos des Papes tackled the challenges of this vintage surprisingly well. However, there's still no denying that you could taste the hot vintage here - the acidity felt quite a bit lower than what is my preference for such a big wine and despite the wonderfully perfumed overall aroma profile, the fruit department seemed still somewhat pruney and raisiny, lending the wine a slightly flabby, unenergetic feel. Had the wine showed better freshness and acidity with less pruney tones, this might've been even the Wine of the Night for me! However, despite its memorable and quite unique overall character, this fell a bit - especially when tasting it next to some of the cooler vintages. At 114,90€ the wine feels just way too pricey for its quality.
(89 points) -
2013 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (55%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol, 1 g/l residual sugar and 5,4 g/l acidity.
A somewhat translucent and moderately evolved brick-red color. The nose feels clean, fragrant and savory with layered aromas of wizened dark berries and strawberries, some leathery notes, a little bit of ripe red plum, light minty green notes, a hint of tobacco, a touch of peppery spice and an autumnal whiff of damp leaves and sous-bois. The wine feels savory, complex and quite firm on the palate with a moderately full body and layered flavors of wizened dark fruits, ripe strawberries and autumnal leaves, some blackberry-driven notes of dark forest fruits, a little bit of leather, light herby notes of menthol and garrigue, a hint of tar and a touch of gravelly minerality. The overall feel is enjoyably structured with the relatively high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is powerful, savory and moderately grippy with flavors of ripe plummy fruits and wild strawberries, some minty green notes, a little bit of earthy and herby garrigue, light nuances of leather and tar, a sweeter hint of prunes and a touch of autumnal leaves. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the finish.
A very impressive, balanced and harmonious vintage of Clos des Papes that shows great sense of structure and finesse. Despite the moderately high ripeness and rather high alcohol, the wine doesn't come across as too heavy, soft or sweet-toned at any point. The fruit profile is starting to show some evolved signs and tertiary complexity, but still retains enough vibrant fruit to promise many more years of further aging potential. In our Clos des Papes 2020-2003 vertical, this was easily my WotN - no other vintage managed to show similar sense of freshness, structure, complexity and balance. However, at 109,96€, I still feel this wine is simply too pricey for the quality, no matter how terrific it is.
(94 points) -
2012 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of organically farmed Grenache (60%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (15%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol (according to the label; 15,4% according to the analyses), 1 g/l residual sugar and 4,7 g/l acidity.
Deep, dark and moderately opaque garnet color. The nose feels brooding, somewhat evolved and a bit reticent with aromas of wizened dark berries, some tertiary meaty and gamey tones, a little bit of garrigue, light strawberry nuances, a fragrant hint of dried flowers, a touch of earthy spices and a sweet whiff of blackberry jam. The alcohol lends a rather hot element to the nose. The wine feels dense, chewy and quite juicy on the palate with a full body and concentrated flavors of blackberries and dark plummy fruit, some licorice tones, light evolved notes of dried figs, a little bit of tobacco and earth, a sweet hint of ripe blueberries and a candied touch of black Bassett's wine gums. The overall feel is somewhat hot and a bit fat, thanks to the medium acidity and soft medium-minus tannins that don't seem to bring enough structure and balance to the wine. The finish is long, savory and quite hot with a tiny bit of tannic grip and a bold aftertaste of ripe blackberries and juicy dark plums, some strawberry notes, a little bit of old leather, light earthy notes, a hint of savory spice and a touch of dried flowers.
A rather big and substantial vintage of Clos des Papes that is enjoyably savory and dark-toned in flavor profile, but perhaps a bit too soft and high in alcohol as a whole. Based on how relatively youthful the wine is still is for its age and how it seems to slowly open up and improve in the glass, I feel there is still some aging potential here and most likely the wine will continue to age and improve with further cellaring - at least for a handful of years more. However, with its somewhat soft and cumbersome disposition, I feel this wine isn't going to turn out particularly elegant with any amount of aging. This is a pretty good and thoroughly enjoyable effort for such a big and ripe wine, but I'd rather have it with less alcohol and more acidity. At 139,90€ the price doesn't really make sense.
(91 points) -
2009 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend of Grenache (55%), Mourvèdre (30%) and Syrah (10%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 15% alcohol.
Deep yet rather translucent and moderately evolved maroon color with a dried-blood hue. The nose feels sweet and dark-toned with moderately evolved aromas of wizened figs and balsamic VA, some strawberry notes, a little bit of tobacco, light evolved notes of old leather and beef jerky, a darker-toned hint of bilberries and a touch of jammy raspberries. The wine feels noticeably ripe, concentrated and dense on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of dried dark fruits and meaty umami, some peppery spice, a little bit of wizened figs, light nuances of tobacco, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of strawberry jam. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity with supple and quite resolved medium-minus tannins. The finish is savory, evolved and gently grippy with a long, bold aftertaste of strawberry jam, some tobacco, a little bit of gamey meat, light raisiny tones, a hint of beef jerky and a touch of dried figs.
There's no denying that the wine comes from the hot 2009 vintage - the overall feel is rather heavy and somewhat pruney and the tannins certainly don't have the same kind of firmness and grip as the cooler, lighter vintages. However, for a 2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this is a quite positive effort with good sense of balance. The wine is somewhat soft and ponderous for my taste and the alcohol does punch through quite a bit, at times, but there's still some enjoyment to be had here. It's quite obvious these Clos des Papes wines require some age - I can imagine this might've been just too big, sweet and jammy an effort in its youth, but now, at 13½ years of age, the wine has developed some savory complexity and depth of flavor. I'm not really a fan, but this is good stuff all the same. Based on the rather evolved qualities here, I'd say the aging potential here is quite limited - my best assessment is that the wine might continue to evolve and improve for a small handful of years, but most likely this will only keep, not improve. Drink now in the near future - this vintage wasn't built for the long haul.
(88 points) -
2003 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (24.3.2023)
A blend Grenache (60%), Mourvèdre (20%) and Syrah (15%); the remaining 5% rounded out by a combination of Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. The fruit gets fully destemmed before the spontaneous fermentation. Aged in old, neutral oak foudres up to 18 months, depending on the vintage. Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Luminous, translucent and relatively pale brownish-red color. The nose feels old, somewhat oxidative and a bit funky with aromas of smoke, tobacco and bretty funk, some oxidative notes of beef jerky, a little bit of nutty rancio, light pungent aldehydic notes, a hint of dried figs, a rustic touch of horse stables and a whiff of balsamic VA. The wine feels evolved, juicy and somewhat oxidative on the palate with a full body and slightly sweet-toned tertiary flavors of beef jerky and salty soy sauce, some raisiny tones, a little bit of aldehydic rancio, light bretty notes of leathery funk and barnyard, sweet fruity hints of soft strawberries and dried figs and a touch of licorice root. The medium acidity and gently grippy medium-minus tannins bring some firmness to the mouthfeel, but not much. The finish is rich, sweet-toned and somewhat oxidative with gently grippy tannins and moderately long flavors of raisiny dark fruit, some tangy notes of rancio, a little bit of bretty barnyard, light sweet notes of prunes and dried dates, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of meaty umami.
This was a still somewhat enjoyable vintage of Clos des Papes but there's no around the fact that this vintage is already getting past its peak. The fruit department is not only getting tired and oxidative, but also a bit too dull and sweet with all the raisiny and pruney flavors that take a toll on the overall drinkability. I did enjoy the somewhat funky brett character that added a nice little touch of rustic complexity to the wine - I think the wine might've been more straightforward and less interesting without the funky overtones. All in all, this challenging vintage managed to offer some enjoyment, but I feel the wine must've been in a better shape some 5-10 years ago. No point in aging this wine any further - now it is high time to drink up any remaining bottles.
(85 points) -
2019 vin & pic Vin de France Seibel - France, Vin de France (24.3.2023)
100% Plantet (aka. Seibel 54-55) from the lieu-dit Terland in Côtes du Forez, planted in 1960. Harvested manually at full ripeness or overripeness. 70% of the fruit is destemmed, 30% is vinified in whole bunches. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 8 months in old, fourth-use oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered. Lot number LSEI0820. 13% alcohol.
Youthful, rather opaque blackish-red color. The nose feels youthful, slightly sauvage and subtly smoky with aromas of burnt hair, some crunchy crowberry, a little bit of brambly black raspberry, light acetic notes of VA, a hint of fresh cherry, a lifted touch of natty funk and a flinty whiff of reduction. The wine is dry, crunchy and a bit wild on the palate with a medium body and somewhat tangy flavors of crowberries and brambly black raspberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of saline minerality and acetic VA, light blueberry tones, a hint of ripe red apple and a touch of burnt hair. The wine is high in acidity with no noticeable tannic grip. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with a somewhat wild and quite acid-driven aftertaste of tart lingonberries and crowberries, some smoky notes of burnt hair, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light acetic notes of sharp VA, a hint of gravelly minerality and a crunchy touch of ripe red apple.
A distinctive, somewhat wild and a bit natty naturalist red made with a local hybrid variety rather rarely encountered elsewhere. You can taste the hybrid background of the grape in its sharp acid structure and the appley flavors that would usually feel somewhat out of place in a red wine. However, even if the wine is slightly natty and shows some obvious hybrid qualities, this is still surprisingly balanced and enjoyable effort that never ventures too deep into the animal kingdom, ie. the wine never feels foxy despite the hybrid grape variety nor mousy despite its natty overall character. Priced more or less according to its quality at 14,90€.
(88 points) -
2017 Poggio dei Gorleri Granaccia Riviera Ligure di Ponente Shalok - Italy, Liguria, Riviera Ligure di Ponente (24.3.2023)
A Grenache from Liguria? Live and learn. So, this is a 100% Granaccia, fermented and macerated for 20 days in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is aged for 12 months in French oak tonneaux. Total production 1633 bottles. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Luminous, youthful and somewhat translucent dark ruby-red color. The nose feels sweetish and quite dark-toned with somewhat polished aromas of plum liqueur and cherry pits, some vanilla oak, a little bit of sweet, toasty spice, light notes of pipe tobacco, a hint of ripe bilberries and a touch of milk chocolate. The wine feels ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned on the palate, yet retaining a somewhat sleek cool-climate overall character with a medium-to-moderately full body and vibrant flavors of fresh plums and blueberries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of toasty mocha oak and vanilla, light blackcurrant tones, a hint of brambly black raspberry and a touch of extracted woody bitterness. The structure relies more on the rather high acidity than on the gentle, ripe and quite supple tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat grippy and quite long with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of ripe bilberries and succulent red plums, some wild strawberries, a little bit of woody oak spice, light gravelly mineral notes, a chocolatey hint of sweet, toasty oak and a touch of vanilla.
A surprisingly fresh, lively and dark-toned effort for a Grenache - most of us thought the wine was a cool-climate red from somewhere around Central Europe. Especially the 14,5% alcohol came as a surprise, because it really didn't show - even after the label was revealed and we re-checked whether the alcohol was actually as high as the label stated! However, what was sort of a let-down with the wine was its quite modern, polished and even slightly gloopy overall character resulting from the rather pronounced oak influence. You could taste there was a lovely, bright and well-proportioned wine underneath, but both the nose and the overall flavor profile was quite heavily dominated by these toasty, chocolatey oak notes and at times quite pronounced vanilla tones. Even though I enjoyed the wine quite a bit, I'm certain I would've enjoyed it much more had I been able to enjoy the vibrant Granaccia fruit fully, not without those obfuscating oaky qualities. I really hope the wine is able to age long enough so that the oak characteristics could integrate with the fruit, but I wouldn't be holding my breath.
(89 points) -
2008 Lucia Syrah Susan's Hill - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (24.3.2023)
Made with estate fruit from the Susan's Vineyard, planted by Gary Pisoni in 1982. 75% of the fruit was destemmed. Fermented spontaneously. Aged for 15 months in French oak puncheons (1/3 new). 14% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Brooding and fully opaque blackish-red color with an evolved brick-red hue. The nose feels bold, heady and quite voluptuous with rather oak-driven aromas of toasted wood and boozy alcohol, some crème de cassis, a little bit of mocha latte, light woody notes of cedar, a hint of milk chocolate, a touch of soft dark plums and a whiff of blackberry jam. The wine feels ripe, rich and very juicy on the palate with a noticeably full body and quite oak-heavy flavors of toasty mocha oak and borderline overripe blackcurrant, some plummy tones, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light cedary notes, a hint of dank herby character of oregano and pot and a sweet touch of wizened dark berries. The quite modest medium acidity feels completely inadequate to bring any freshness or structure to the wine, but at least the moderately grippy medium-plus tannins bring some welcome firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is big, ripe and juicy with moderate tannic grip and powerful, sweet-toned flavors of woody oak spice and toasty mocha character, some jammy blackcurrant tones, a little bit of cedar, light plummy tones, a hint of dank, sweet herby character and a touch of milk chocolate. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.
Even though I've had these Lucia Syrah wines in the past, this wine was still impossible for me to identify correctly - the wine was so ripe and oaky that any varietal qualities were more or less obliterated in the process. The guesses ranged from Ribera del Duero Tempranillo to Argentine Malbecs, but quite quickly our guesses reached California. However, even then identifying Syrah took its time, because the wine smelled and tasted mainly of toasty new oak, not of any specific grape variety. Stylistically this was very similar to the 2008 Garys' Vineyard Syrah, but at least that wine was aromatically more interesting with its more pronounced aromatic herby notes - this wine came across as just anonymous and too monolithic. Although the wine was still surprisingly youthful for a huge, heavily oaked blockbuster wine almost 15 years old - and most likely the wine will keep just fine for many, many more years - I doubt any amount of aging is going to make a wine this ripe, oaky and low in acidity become particularly sophisticated. I guess this might be an impressive wine if you happen to like your wines huge, toasty and fruity, but for me this was just way too ripe, soft and oaky.
(83 points) -
2018 David Sterza Corvina Veronese IGT - Italy, Veneto, Veronese IGT (24.3.2023)
This is sort of a single-varietal Amarone, ie. a red wine made with Corvina grapes dried for two months. Aged for 12 months in French oak barriques. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Deep, moderately opaque and slightly evolved ruby-red color with a faint pomegranate hue. The nose feels surprisingly restrained and even a bit closed but also quite sweet-toned - even slightly jammy - with brooding, dark-toned aromas of bilberry juice and vanilla oak, some inky tones, a little bit of toasty oak spice, light sweet notes of borderline overripe dark plums, a hint of milk chocolate and a touch of black cherry. With air the nose opens up just to reveal more toasty oak tones. The wine feels ripe, rich and sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and intense, dark-toned flavors that contrast heavily with the rather understated and closed nose. There are bold flavors of juicy dark plums and sweet black cherries, some toasty oak spice, a little bit of vanilla, light extracted notes of woody bitterness, a hint of jammy red fruits and a touch of coffee. Especially the vanilla notes seem to grow in intensity as the wine opens up. The overall feel is quite polished and chewy, but at least not without structure - thanks to the rather high acidity and quite grippy and assertive, extracted tannins. The high alcohol lends some noticeable heat to the palate. The finish is juicy, rich and grippy with a very long and almost cloyingly sweet aftertaste of overripe bilberries and rich black cherries, quite pronounced vanilla tones, some sour dark plums, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light toasty notes of mocha oak and a hint of raisiny dark fruit.
At first people were quite confused by the wine - although impressively structured and muscular, its overall feel was just oddly rich, sweet and gloopy with heavy emphasis on toasty, vanilla-driven oak flavors. However, after we managed to find our bearings, it didn't that long to go for Amarone, which was close enough. All in all, I enjoyed the stern, structural feel here, but as a whole the wine was just too sweet, oaky and, well, just gloopy for my palate. If the producer wanted to highlight the qualities of Corvina, I wish they would've made wine in a more transparent style, as now all the varietal characteristics get just badly masked away by the heavy-handed winemaking. All in all, this really wasn't my kind of wine.
(84 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
We’ll see if your or rather our minds change when we get to opening the Chapelle St Theodoric, Domaine du Banneret bottles etc.