The current weather pattern is driving me crazy. First it’s bitter cold, then it warms up just enough to give you hope and then it’s back into the freezer again. This up-and-down pogo-stick thermometer is enough to drive one to drink red wine. Particularly the red wines of Chateauneuf du Pape.
The Chateauneuf du Pape region is located in the southern end of the Rhone Valley and takes its name — literally “The Pope’s New Home” — from the 12th century when Pope Clement V moved the papal palace to the village of Avignon in the south of France. The relocation lasted only about 70 years, but during that time the popes of Avignon had a significant effect on the local wine industry. Even though the early popes were big fans of Burgundy wines, successive popes began to rely on the local vineyards to produce wines for the papacy. This resulted in a gradual increase in both the quality and popularity of the regional wines.
Eventually, rules were put in place to protect the pedigree of the appellation and regulate the types of grapes — currently 13 red grape varietals, including grenache, syrah and mourvedre — that can be used as well as the vinification process itself. Today, CDP wines have approached the legendary status of their cousins in Bordeaux and Burgundy.
So what does the winter weather have to do with Chateauneuf du Pape wines? Well, just like the highs and lows we are currently experiencing, CDPs have their own ups and downs. Young CDPs are fun to drink, full of bright red cherry fruit with characteristic notes of cedar, smoke and pepper. Older versions develop wonderful barnyard aromas and pronounced, layered flavors of dark cherry, dried herbs, lavender, saddle leather, licorice and black pepper. But the most remarkable trait of a mature CDP is the balance between flavor and structure that only time can provide.
The problem is that red CDPs go through a “dumb phase” a few years after bottling. Like a midlife crisis, the wines just shut down. They taste like, well, not much of anything at all — they’re just sort of void of any flavor or structure. Worst of all, dumb phases are unpredictable, but they usually begin around five years after bottling and can last an additional five to 10 years. So these wines will reward the patient consumer.
The good news is you don’t have to wait for the dumb phase to end because the 2007 vintage is simply remarkable — the best of the decade so far. It has produced a bevy of gorgeous wines that are drinking spectacularly well now and for the next three years or so. And if you don’t mind waiting out the dumb phase, you’ll eventually — say 10 years — be treated to elegance in a glass. Retail prices are approximate.
2007 Domaine La Roquete, Chateauneuf du Pape, France ($40)
Brothers Daniel and Frederic Brunier — who also own the famed Domaine Vieux Telegraphe up the road — make an affordable CDP that offers dark cherry fruit, black pepper and minerals on the nose while well-rounded flavors of black cherry, lavender, leather and pepper coat the palate and glide through on the full-bodied finish.
2007 Paul Autard, Chateauneuf du Pape, France ($42)
Smoky scents of black plums and dark berry fruit fill the nose while round, full flavors of dark cherry, plum, black fig and tar and dominate the palate. Wonderful to drink now.
2007 Font de Michelle, Chateauneuf de Pape, France ($50)
Keeping it in the family, this CDP is made by brothers Jean and Michel Gonnet, who happen to be cousins of the Bruniers. This young wine is supple and rich, with scents of berry fruit, cedar and tar on the nose. Luscious flavors of black cherry, licorice and Asian spices glide over the tongue on their way to a smooth, smokey finish.
2007 Domaine Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf du Pape, France ($64)
Made by Frederic and Daniel Brunier, this wine has a gorgeous bouquet of dark cherry, ripe plums and black pepper. The round mouthfeel delivers flavors of rich cassis, black fruit, black olives and black licorice in layers across the palate with hints of spicy pepper on the full-bodied finish.
2007 Chateau Beaucastel, Chateauneuf du Pape, France ($90)
A perennial favorite, the spectacular scents of sweet black fruits, violets and cedar captivated the nose. Integrated flavors of cherry, kirsch, tobacco, cedar and eucalyptus are supported by smooth tannins and lead to a long, lush finish.
2007 Domaine Pegau, Chateauneuf du Pape, France ($90)
This wine is a showstopper. The aromas of ripe black cherries, tar, leather and cedar are simply beautiful. Flavors of sweet cherry, dark plum, lavender and tobacco are supported on an elegant frame with perfect balance. Black pepper notes persist on the long finish for more than 30 seconds.
