As you probably know my wine preference is strongly anchored
in traditionally made wines, i.e. wines that see no manipulation in the cellar,
and are instead an expression of the place and grape from which they were
born. Fortunately there are great
winemakers in various countries that make these types of wines. France’s Southern Rhone Valley is home to the appellation of
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, one of
my favorites. And, in my opinion,
the three top winemakers here are Chateau Beaucastel, Chateau Rayas, and Henri
Bonneau. Each make stunning traditional wines
that provide for the drinker an extraordinary wine experience. Their wines are alive and change and
evolve in the glass with each sip.
They are wines that stimulate conversation amongst wine drinkers. They are wines that also bring
broad smiles to the faces of those who partake of them.
With this in mind, and my turn to provide the wine, I
thought an evening with these wine makers and our wine group was in order. Thus this past Monday evening we met at Rare The Steakhouse in Little Falls, NJ. The restaurant is owned by Il Tulipano owner Gregorio
Polomeni and serves excellent steaks, chops and accompaniments. There are also a number of menu
choices, such as Rigatoni Amatriciana, carried over from Il Tulipano.
Chateau du Beaucastel
Chateau du Breaucastel has 70 hectares (173 acres) of vines
planted with red grape varieties.
Diluvial alpine deposits with rolled pebbles over a former molasse
sea-bed of the miocene epoch make up the soil.
CdP wine making rules allows for producers to use up to 13 different grape varietals in making red CdP. Beaucastel is one of the few producers that blends all 13
permitted grape varietals into its red CdPs. Mourvedre 30%, Grenache 30%, Syrah 10%, Counoise 10%,
Cinsault 5%. The other varieties (Vaccarese, Terret noir, Muscardin, Clairette,
Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne) add up to 15%.
The grapes are hand picked & vinified separately with
just the Syrah undergoing new oak maturation. Beaucastel is an unorthodox CdP,
because it eschews the common Grenache in favor of Mouvedre, which usually
makes up 30% of the blend. The skins of the whole berries are first heated to
80°C (176°F), to destroy bacteria that might lead to early oxidation, and then
cooled down to 20°C (68°F). Maceration is classic, in open-topped wooden vats
for syrah and Mouvedre and in concrete tanks for the other varieties. After the varietals are blended the wine
is matured in large oak foudre for one year, after which bottling takes place
without filtration (just fining with egg whites.)
If ever two winemakers could honestly be said to have
become legends in their own time, then they would be Henri Bonneau and the late
Jacques Reynaud (of Château Rayas).
The vinification and ageing of the Bonneau wines is in fact very
simple. When the fermentation in cement tanks is finished the wine goes into
very old barrels from Burgundy. Here it stays until Bonneau finds it ready to
be bottled - maybe after 6, 8 or 10 years. Unlike Beaucastel, Bonneau uses more than 90% Grenache along with small amounts of Mourvedre, Counoise and Vaccarese in his CdP.
Not
one barrel of his wine is ever going to see the inside of a bottle before its
fifth birthday. It will then be sold under one of three names – “Celestin”,
“Marie Burrier”, or just plain “Châteauneuf-du-Pape”, representing diminishing
prowess. “Which name?” is a question to answer which Bonneau often struggles for
the entire five years, sometimes longer. And if he doesn’t think a given wine
fits one of these pigeon holes, then he creates a new and mysterious name to go
with it! In his winemaking, Bonneau has done more than any other grower in the
world to set an example of “less is more”. In his approach to harvest – as late
and as ripe as possible and damn the risks – he has proven to be a man truly
ahead of his time. Nowadays, wine growers the world over talk the talk of “hang
to the max” and have the port-like, 15+% alcohol wines to prove it, whether or
not they or their customers fall on their faces attempting to walk the walk.
The truth is, there ought to be a large placard in Bonneau’s cave that reads
“Don’t try this in your cellar!” It might not discourage the most determined
young growers … but only those few ever stand a chance of emulating his
success. To understand Bonneau’s wines – insofar as anyone can fathom such
mysterious depths – one has to appreciate old, pre-clonal vines and the effect
of cropping them at very low levels. Only in this way will resulting wines have
sufficient extract to buffer their alcohol, not to mention withstand years in
old barrels and then improve for additional decades in bottle.
Many feel that if the question is posed as to what is the
quintessential Châteauneuf du Pape at the highest quality level, the answer can
only be Henri Bonneau’s Réserve des Célestins.”
Chateau Rayas is a small ten-hectare vineyard, in the
heart of the woods, planted in very poor, sandy soil producing wines with great
finesse. The grape varieties there are: Grenache for red wine Grenache and
Clairette for white.
Château Rayas is a winery that seems frozen in time.
Wooden staircases leading to different areas and floors inside the
"chai" are worn, steep and rocky. However, Emmanuel did make a
concession to modernity when he lined the inside of the cement fermentation
vats with epoxy, a durable, corrosion-resistant coating. The wine is matured,
however, in large, ancient wood vats, or "foudres" that are 80 to 100
years old.
Rayas' rustic look not only reflects the owners' dislike
for the trendy, it advertises their commitment to tradition. This philosophy
comes through in the wine: In bad or good vintages, it tastes genuine. In a
world of sameness, the Reynaud family makes a wine that's idiosyncratic even by
the local standards of Châteauneuf. Rayas is unusual because its vineyards face
mostly north (less heat, thus more finesse). It's also unusual because the wine
is 100% Grenache. (Rayas has 27 acres planted to this varietal.) It helps that
the vines are relatively old -- between 15 and 60 years, according to Emmanuel.
Finally, Rayas harvests late, sometimes very late.
"That's the game we've always played in the family: We want ripe fruit,
and we'll pick late if necessary," said Emmanuel. "You must know how
to take risks. To win, you must be ready to lose."
We began with 1999 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Blanc alongside 2007 Chateau Rayas Blanc.
When I first purchased the 1999 Beaucastel Blanc (2002) the Wine
Advocate had these comments, “It takes on an oxidized mid-life crisis between
5-10 years of age, and re-emerges as a completely different animal around age
ten. Of course, each vintage has its own track record, but it is a fascinating
wine to drink young, as well as an impressive one to have after ten years.
Thick and unctuously-textured, but supported by excellent acidity, it can be
drunk over the next 4-5 years, and then ignored for a decade. It will keep for
20 years.” This turned out to be a very accurate
description. The wine was gorgeous
in 2002 and then completely shut down until 2010 when it emerged as a
completely different wine. The
wine possessed then, as it did tonight, a gorgeous translucent golden-honey hue with
an absolutely intoxicating sweet bouquet. On the palate it was a bit oxidized, nicely balanced, but
lacked the freshness of white Cdps in their youth. An interesting wine for sure. The Beaucastel is a blend of Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Picardan, Clairette,
Bourboulenc.
The 2007 Chateau Rayas Blanc, a blend of 50% Grenache
and 50% Clairette on the other hand had
remarkable purity, balance and focus.
It was crisp and sexy on the palate with a long and delicious
finish. A wine that needs to be
tasted to appreciate.
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| L to R, '99 Beaucastel, '07 Rayas
The first red CdP we drankd was 2004 Beaucastel
Chateauneuf-du-Pape Hommage a Jacques Perrin. This remarkable wine is made only in exceptional vintages,
which according to the family means only when the Mourvedre reaches sufficient ripeness to merit a
special bottling. Hommage contains a higher proportion of Mourvedre than the
regular bottling and this varietal did extremely well in the 2004 vintage. 20% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Counoise
make up the balance of the blend.
The wine has only been made in In 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999,
2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005.
Unfortunately tonight’s bottle was very tight and despite 3+
hours of decanting, the wine never really emerged. I had a bottle of this vintage in January of this year and
it too never opened. It would
appear that the wine has gone to sleep for a while. It was a shame as I have had other vintages that were
ethereal.
Fortunately the 2001 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape
Reserve des Celestins that followed made up for the first bottle. This was downright gorgeous. The great wine writer Hugh Johnson has
said, “Great wines don’t make statements, they pose questions.” Amen to that! When I drink this wine I always ask
myself “How can a wine be this good?”
One sip of this wine and the same question will jump from your
lips. To quote Eric Asimov, Chief
Wine Critic for the NY Times, from his Latest book “how to love wine”, “great
wine is best experienced by the sense of wonder and intrigue it provokes.” This wine certainly evoked both of the
above comments.
The final two red Cdps were 1995 and 2007 Chateau Rayas
Reserve. Next to the 1990 vintage,
these two vintages are considered to be amongst the finest wines to come out of
Rayas. Made from 100% Grenache
both were spectacular. I have
always been partial to the 1995.
In fact it is one of the most memorable wines that I have ever
tasted. It is round, pure and
delicious. It was again tonight,
but alas played second fiddle to the 2007 which was stunning, even in its
youth. This wine can use 4 to 5
more years of cellar aging and then it may even surpass the legendary
1990. The wine has an impeccable
balance, purity of fruit and a lengthy elegant finish. The wine flat out seduces you. Once again the comments of Johnson and
Asimov came to mind as I drank these wines.
The consensus wine of the evening was the 2001 Bonneau and
rightfully so. It is drinking at
its peak at the moment. The 2007
Rayas red was a close second. I
look forward to comparing these two wines in the future. It was a great evening, shared with 5
guys who truly appreciate good food and great wines.
These wines are not easy to come buy and are very pricey,
but worth the indulgence on occasion.
Thanks Emil for dinner.
Saluté
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