Châteauneuf-du-Pape tasting

[AlexR]

Harry Karis invited me to the launch of his book on Châteauneuf-du-Pape at the Macéo restaurant in Paris on Thursday.
This involved a tasting with 20 producers and a meal to follow.

My experience with CDP is fairly limited and, despite my efforts at open-mindedness, I admit to starting out with a prejudice: viewing these wines as strong and "in your face", without the potential for elegance of Burgundy or Bordeaux.
However, never having experienced a broad, in-depth tasting of CDP, I was anxious to see what I would find.

Before I go into the particulars, let me say that I did not encounter the hot or hollow wines I half-expected. A number of the wines were not only rich and sensual, but also elegant. Several were terribly seductive and classy.

The growers I met were fully conscious of, and grateful for, their appellation's new-found reputation and thank Robert Parker unreservedly for this. This is not to say that CDP was ever considered a viticultural backwater. However, within living memory, it had never enjoyed quite the serious consideration of, let's say, Bordeaux, in the pre-Parker era.

My introduction to great CDP was at a meal with Alain Bringolf (of Winemega) in Switzerland. He was kind enough to open a 2000 Ch. de Beaucastel "Hommage à Jacques Perrin" and served it blind. This was weighty, but balanced, and clearly at the tip of the quality pyramid by anyone's standards. I mistook it for an Hermitage, which shows not only my ignorance of Rhône wines, but also my placing it clearly in the camp of wines acknowledged in my mind's eye as refined.

I was delighted to find the CDP producers down-to-earth and personable, not taking themselves for gentry. Some of them had a delicious Provençal accent.
I was also intrigued to see how many of the wines were wonderful young, although they presumably can age well too.
Julien Barrot of Domaine Barroche summed this up nicely: "Le Grenache a toujours les bras ouverts" (obviously, Grenache is just one of the many grape varieties, but it is usually the most important one, and often the one made from the oldest vines).

With so many red wines, I admit to tasting hardly any whites. This is also indicative of my prejudice against white Rhônes, which I will perhaps overcome one day!

I started off with 2007 Ch. de Vaudieu, which I found attractive and well-structured. The 2005 was rich and satisfying, but a little one-dimensional.

The Domaine de Christia range left a good impression. The 2004 was very open and ready-to-go, with medium body. The 2007 was more serious, with a typical CDP nose and fine berry flavors on the palate. The 100% Grenache 2006 Cuvée Renaissance was, as might be expected, more of a "hand-crafted" wine with a particularly fine bouquet with plenty of volume, but also considerable softness and length on the palate.

The Pierre Usseglio wines were not among the best, in my opinion, but there was a very earthy, "authentic" side to them. The 2008 was round and attractive with a goût de terroir. The 2007 was better, however this was one of the wines where you could feel the alcohol and it was a bit dry on the aftertaste. The 07 Cuvée de Mon Aïeul was another kettle of fish. The nose was perfumed, almost cosmetic. Although big on the palate, it was also soft, with a long tarry aftertaste.

I sampled two wines from Domaine Giraud. The 07 had a floral, raisiny, interesting nose, but was somewhat hollow on the middle palate and short on the aftertaste. The Les Gallimardes, vieilles vignes (100% Grenache) left a much more positive impression. The color was deceptively light, but the nose was subtle and seductive. Lots there on the palate. Vibrant and elegant with a fine tannic structure.

La Gardine was in the good, but not great category to my mind. The 07 had a nose of black cherry and coffee/vanilla. Big and strapping on the palate with a "cherry cough syrup" flavor and a dry aftertaste. The 07 Cuvée Générations was a decided step up with a fine, deep color and attractive, funky nose. It reminded me of a "commercial" style, but with a little extra something. The top cuvée is called "Peur Bleue". It had an extremely dark color, a pure, fruity nose, a tight tannic structure and a fine, spicy aftertaste. No S02 whatsoever was used in its production according to the owner.

Due to mutual friends, I have had Domaine Barroche wines on several occasions. The 2007 regular blend has an atypical nose with something dusty, sweet and (seemingly) slightly oxidized, although I won't swear by the last adjective. Chewy, rich, and fruity on the palate. 2006 Cuvée Fiancée is half Grenache and half Syrah. The former is 100 years old (!) and the latter 20 years old. The nose was powdery, fragrant, and almost cosmetic. Good weight on the palate, but not too big and overbearing. Slightly hot on the long, leathery aftertaste. A successful blend. I've had the pleasure of tasting Pure before, a wine given 100 points by Parker… The color of the 2005 is not very deep, but the nose is quite elegant. Very characterful on the palate, and the aftertaste is long and splendid.

Domaine Saint Préfert is run by the dynamic Isabel Ferrando. While I didn't find her 2007 top-notch (the nose was just too odd, with strange musky and coffee/vanilla overtones, whereas the gamy notes were admittedly better-integrated on the palate), another of her wines, 07 Colombis, was fabulous. The color was on the light side, and not altogether limpid, but the bouquet was polished, perfumed and pure, and the palate outstandingly sleek and precise.

I enjoyed the next estate, Domaine de la Solitude, very much, and got along well with Jean Lançon, who sat across from me at dinner. I appreciated the 06 and also sampled the 2005 Cuvée Barberini which was very different in style, a buxom lass beckoning one to the haystack. So to speak. But last wine, and one of the best of the tasting, was the 04 Cuvée Secrète. This was more Burgundian in character to me than CDPish. Sweet, tightly-wound, a real delight. I was very surprised at the end of the evening when M. Lançon said, "Here, take a bottle, and you can bring a bottle of good Bordeaux when you come to visit the Domaine". Now there was an unexpected proposal! I obviously accepted. With Cuvée Secrèt retailing at 100 euros a bottle, I'll be bring a good Bordeaux with me, you can be sure!

I read a lot about Domaine de Pegau on wine forums. My own experience is limited, and unfortunately included several bottles that had a cork or bacterial problem. Laurence Féraud was pouring her 2008, which is still in cask. I unfortunately found it had some of the characteristics that had turned me off previously. However, the 2005 was marvellous, one of the top 3 wines of the evening for me. The nose was deep, bewitching and Pinotlike. The taste was long, and gutsy with plenty of grip. Very fine indeed.

Seeing as this post is getting far too long, let me limit my notes for Domaine de la Charbonnière to saying that it was, sadly, one of my least favorite.

2007 Bosquet des Papes "Cuvée Folie" was a bit unbalanced, but interesting, and things might fall into place over time. The 07 "A la Gloire de Mon Père" had a gamy, fruity, funky, fresh nose with lovely structure, silky texture, and layered flavours on the palate. Very good indeed. The Chant le Merle seemed a considerable step down from the previous.

Cuvée de Vatican was a nice discovery to me. The Cuvée Sixtine is in the hedonistic mold and I just let myself be seduced… I preferred the 2008 to the 2007. I will seek this wine out.

2006 Ch. de la Nerthe has a spirity and sweet nose with a solid, good mouth feel. Well-made but lacks a bit of spark… The 2005 Cuvée des Cadettes is a single vineyard wine made from 100 year-old Grenache vines. It has a truly lovely Burgundylike nose and is head and shoulders above the regular cuvée. Aged 100% in new oak. Retails at about 60 euros.

I didn't realize that Clos de l'Oratoire belongs to Ogier. I wish I could say I was more impressed than I was with the wines, which seemed a bit dull in this line-up.

I tasted 06 and 04 Domaine de Banneret, which was not among the top wines. Old-fashioned style.

2007 Domaine Marcoux had a musky (bretty?) nose, and this quality carried over onto the palate, which was nevertheless sweet and nice. This is the sort of wine best enjoyed young IMHO. The 2007 Vieilles Vignes was more attractive, with a very promising bouquet, a warm roundness on the palate and a fine long aftertaste.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Rick]

Well you certainly had some nice CdPs
Thanks for the notes

rick

[stefan]

It is nteresting to get this perspective on CdP from a Bordeauxphile like you, Alex.

stefan

[DavidG]

Fascinating report, Alex, seeing these wines through your eyes. I think you describe them quite well, even though the style may not be in your wheelhouse.