Chateauneuf du Pape: The Generous Wine

As Beaujolais is a summer wine, so Chateauneuf du Pape is a perfect wine for colder weather. The romantic might imagine that their glass holds something of Provence, and that is a cheering thought. Certainly Chateauneuf, a town near Orange and Avignon, slumbers in intense summer heat, storing up that intensity in the grapes that are carefully grown there. When my wife and I visited the region, we were struck by the large rocks in the soil of the best wine properties. It reminded me of Chateau Latour in Pauillac near Bordeaux. There, I was told that the rocks soak up the summer heat, and radiate it during the evenings, increasing the intensity of the grapes grown there. The same formula must hold true in Chateauneuf. Wine has been made in Chateuneuf for over eight hundred years, and that cultivation accelerated when the Papacy under Clement V, himself a knowledgeable producer of wine in the Graves region of Bordeaux, moved to Avignon and a summer residence for the Pontiff was established at Chateauneuf. The traditions were established and maintained, and may be seen even today in a region with a giant production. There are now some 13 million bottles produced annually by 320 producers. Brand names are recognized and sought after, for only 7% of production is by the local cooperative. The rest is privately produced. Quality control rules were developed early. Production laws setting forth harvest limits per hectare are eighty years old, and the appellation controllée system was developed in 1936. As was the case in the nineteenth century, before the phyloxera plague hit France’s vineyards, thirteen varieties of grapes are legally permitted in the making of Chateauneuf du Pape. They have their recognized properties. Over a century ago, for example, grenache and cinsault grapes, were said to add color, intensity and softness. Mourvedre, syrah, muscardin and vaccarese grapes added aging potential and also contributed to the characteristic darkness of the wine. Counoise and picpoul grapes were said to be there for freshness and aroma, while clairette and bourboulenc added finesse. There must be something to that tradition, although individual producers emphasize some variation in the blend, and even hold tastings of the individual grape varieties to develop awareness of their properties. Something must be working well, despite the inherent difficulties in agricultural production of a blended wine. I can’t imagine, for example, that all thirteen varieties mature in a predictable and profitable sequence for the wine growers. Indeed, 1998 — like 1978, 1989, and 1990 — a banner year for Chateauneuf du Pape, was hailed as a year in which the grapes ripened in a synchronous manner. I can just imagine the sighs of relief. The weather throughout the summer was hot, but moderate rainfall came at just the right junctures. Most important, the grenache grape, used preponderantly in the blend by many growers, enjoyed a superb year. The result has been an exceptional year for the wine, with prices mounting, but still nowhere near the premiums paid for better known, and perhaps more prestigious wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy. Chateauneuf du Pape is a big wine, with long aging potential, and quality staying power. As with other wines, buy it for enjoyment, but with an eye towards your investment. I was fortunate enough to put down a case of 1978 Beaucastel Chateauneuf shortly after it was produced. Beaucastel, then as now, tends to set the standard. That case of wine cost me $165 then. We let the case age for a decade, then over the next six years we would have a bottle at Christmas. It’s perfect with a Dickens sort of Christmas dinner, roast goose with the trimmings. It’s hard to imagine a finer Chateauneuf du Pape than the 1978 Beaucastel. Eventually I sold the remaining six bottles at auction five years ago. They fetched $900, more than enough to lay down a case of the very fine 1998 Beaucastel (at $60 a bottle). Beaucastel’s mixture includes 30% each of mourvedre and grenache, plus 10% syrah, 5% each of censault, vaccarese and muscardin, and traces of each of the other seven permitted grape varieties. Their vines are on the average 50 years old, and yields are limited below the levels permitted by French production law. They also make, in exceptional years such as 1998, a special cuvée, “Homage a Jacques Perrin,” containing 60% grenache and 20% mourvedre. The good news for price conscious consumers is that a red Rhone wine, Condulet de Beaucastel, is also made. The property is not far from the main Beaucastel estate, many of the same grape varieties are used, and at $18 a bottle, it’s more affordable. Let me suggest some other 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape producers, with current prices in the Washington area. The problem will be finding them after a few months. If you can, put some bottles down, and happy drinking some years from now. Chapoutier “La Bernardine” ($27); Louis Bernard ($24); Guigal ($23); Domaine Chante Perdrix ($20); Le Vieux Donjon ($25); Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe ($37; Chateau Mont Redon ($35). Some white Chateauneuf du Pape is also made. It is flavorful and full of body, not lacking finesse. As you might expect, it ages well. Now appearing at retail stores is the 1999 vintage, which I’m looking forward to trying. Good bottles are said to have been made by Chateau La Nerthe ($37); Chateau de la Gardine ($36); Bousquet des Papes ($23); Le Vieux Donjon ($15), and of course, Beaucastel ($62). Try a bottle and let us know how you liked it. Check out Bill Shepard’s biography! You may post a comment here for the author and discuss French wines on BP’s discussion board. Copyright © 2001 Paris New Media, L.L.C.