CLOS DES PAPES Chateauneuf-du-Pape

The Wine Advocate: 95

While the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape shows some bricking at the rim and scents of leather, pepper and soy sauce on first opening, be patient with it. With a bit of time in the glass, it blossoms, transforming into a swirl of pressed flowers and ripe cherries. Full-bodied, rich and still packed with potential at age 20, it finishes silky and long, with echoes of licorice and spice. At least based on this bottle, prospective drinkers will want to consider decanting an hour or so in advance.

Like many of the producers I visited in late 2021, Paul-Vincent Avril seemed happy to receive a visitor after so many months of virtual isolation. "We've had a good summer—not too hot," he said. The estates parcels were, however, badly affected by frost in the spring. His team began picking on September 20, paused over the following weekend for rain, and he expected them to finish on October 2. "The phenolic maturity is there, the sugars are there," Avril said. "No, it won't be like 2019, but I think we will come in around 14.5–15 degrees [of alcohol]. I think, I don't like to say before the vintage is finished."

Of the vintages reviewed here, Avril said he finds the 2019 "more powerful and rich," comparing it to 2016 and 2007, whereas he calls the 2020 "really elegant."

Clos des Papes farms 24 different parcels in the appellation, and Avril said they all bring something important to the blend. "Chateauneuf de Pape is a blend—a blend of grapes and a blend of the terroirs." The 2021 vintage marked his 36th vintage, and he proudly said he'd never sold a single milliliter as bulk wine. I was left with the impression that he's not going to start now.

Vinous: 93

(includes 20% mourvedre and 8% syrah) Good full red. Complex, vibrant nose melds raspberry, blood orange, duck confit, tree bark and toasted hazelnut. Dense, sappy and penetrating, with superb inner-mouth energy. Very spicy, sharply delineated wine with an almost Burgundian texture. Finishes with building, sweet flavors of raspberry, cherry and strawberry, a saline suggestion of extract, and terrific persistence. This wine clearly benefitted from the high quality of mourvedre in 2001.

Wine Spectator: 94

This has hit its second phase with beautiful definition, showing hints of Lapsang souchong tea, roasted apple wood and juniper, joined by singed bay leaf, mulled blackberry and black currant fruit and a long, spice box–infused finish. As graceful and restrained as this is, it still has the reserve tank and balance for extended aging. -- 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape non-blind retrospective (November 2011). Drink now through 2022. 9,000 cases made, 1,000 cases imported.

The Wine Advocate: 96

As predicted last year by Paul-Vincent Avril, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Mourvèdre, about 10% Syrah and the rest other permitted varieties. It boasts a cool, fresh nose of strawberries, cola and tree bark, yet it's full-bodied and tannic on the palate. Dense and chewy, albeit with a mouthwatering sense of freshness, this will need a few years to relax and unwind, but it looks very promising.

Paul-Vincent Avril winced as we discussed the yields in recent vintages. In 2017, his parcels averaged 15 hectoliters per hectare, while in 2018, he only harvested nine hectoliters per hectare. "I've never seen that before," he said. The aim at the estate is 25 hectoliters per hectare. In fact, many of the foudres in the winery held only water during my visit, as it's important to keep the staves in these massive oak vessels wet so they maintain their integrity. At least, said Avril, "The quality [in 2018] is good, because the problems were in May and June. The wines are elegant. Tannins mature, soft and smooth." Avril keeps back a portion of each vintage for direct sales to restaurants, and he'll rely on those sales of mature wines to help make up the revenue. And speaking of older vintages, readers who have the 2009s should count themselves lucky, as both the red and white are drinking well today.

Vinous: 95-96

Shimmering violet. Pungent aromas of red and blue fruit preserves, potpourri and smoky minerals, along with a spicy nuance that builds as the wine opens up. Youthfully chewy and deeply concentrated, displaying sappy black raspberry, bitter cherry and boysenberry flavors and suggestions of candied lavender and licorice. Shows impressive finesse for its depth and finishes extremely long and precise, with building tannins that meld smoothly with the wine's densely packed fruit.

Wine Spectator: 94

Supple and alluring in feel, with a silky edge to the mix of anise, plum sauce and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors. A twinge of roasted apple wood shows on the finish, followed by an echo of lavender. Displays lovely range. The texture makes this approachable now, though there's no rush. Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre. Drink now through 2038. 700 cases imported.