Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reds:&nbsp;The Flamboyant 2014s and the Structured 2013s

Wine lovers who gravitate
toward structured Châteauneuf-du-Papes are going to be thrilled by the style of
the 2013s, while those who are drawn to more flamboyant, fruit-driven,
immediately approachable wines are likely to prefer the 2014s. In fact, the
personalities of the two vintages are so different that I can imagine fans of
one vintage almost completely dismissing the other, even if the actual differences
between the two sets of wines are not generally as extreme as some might think.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1460042851897-Grenache+vines+in+the+heart+of+the+village.JPG"> Grenache vines in the heart of the village 

A Benign Late Harvest in 2014&nbsp;

The growing season of 2014
got off to an auspicious start with warm early-spring weather but was quickly
slowed down by a cool, damp late spring and summer. Growers’ spirits were brightened
when the weather turned dry and warm, but not hot, in late summer and stayed
that way through a late harvest by modern-day standards that extended into
mid-October for some vineyards. Acidity levels remained healthy and sugar
levels moderate due to the lack of serious heat, which ensured freshness. The
protracted harvest yielded mature, healthy grapes and wines with ripe, juicy dark
red berry character supported by harmonious tannins, all of which should give
the wines considerable early appeal.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1460043159407-Old+Grenache+plantings+on+sandy+soil+at+Domaine+Charvin.JPG"> Old Grenache plantings on sandy soil at Domaine Charvin 

A Difficult Spring in 2013

By contrast, 2013 began
with a miserably cold, rain-plagued spring. Temperatures rarely exceeded 40
degrees Fahrenheit through May. Grenache, in particular, had difficulty flowering
and the resulting fruit set was down dramatically, especially in younger vines.
A warm summer and fall allowed the harvest to take place under very good
conditions but the damage had already been done, yield-wise. Sophie Estevin and
her sister Catherine Armenier of Domaine de Marcoux, which has an abundance of
old Grenache plantings, told me that their overall yield in 2013 was barely 12
hectoliters per hectare, resulting in total production of less than 12,000
bottles of a single classique bottling. Since the Grenache shortage meant that
there wasn’t nearly enough fruit, said Estevin, they couldn’t justify making
their celebrated Vieilles Vignes cuvée “no matter how high the quality of the
wine.”

The shortage of Grenache
was a recurring theme throughout the southern Rhône Valley during my two-week
visit in February. If producers who typically lean heavily on Grenache for
their blends wished to make wines according to their usual formulas in 2013, a
choice had to be made. Either they could stick close to their usual recipe and
accept the fact that production would be lower owing to the short Grenache
crop, or they could increase the proportion of other later-ripening varieties
in their blends. While I can’t say that I have tried a lot of 2013s that stray
far from most producers’ house styles, many of the wines from this vintage do show
more structure and darker fruit character than usual, especially those wines that
contain a healthy dose of Mourvèdre.

The best 2013s are built to
age, thanks in no small part to the often higher percentages of late-ripening
varieties, notably Mourvèdre, that are included in the wines. Then there’s the
fact that many producers, as mentioned above, opted to blend the fruit from
their oldest vines into a single “basic” bottling, resulting in Châteauneufs
that are in many cases more structured and higher in acidity than usual, Grenache
being a low-acid variety. That bright acidity actually gives many of the wines
early appeal for their freshness, but there’s a backbone to the best wines as
well, which makes many ‘13s solid cellar candidates. Generally speaking, my
inclination would be to dig into most of the 2014s before—and sometimes even
well before—the majority of the 2013s.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1460043024059-Domaine+La+Barroche%27s+new+winery%2C+with+ultra-modern%2C+tulip-shaped+concrete+tanks.JPG"> Domaine La Barroche's new winery, with ultra-modern, tulip-shaped concrete tanks 

News Flash: Châteauneufs are Big, Rich Wines&nbsp;

Grenache is a variety
that, when picked underripe, can be anywhere from boring to unpleasantly green.
Grenache wants to be ripe, which is why it has found a home in Provence, and ripeness
for Grenache means somewhere around 15% alcohol and often higher. Even the most
graceful, balanced Châteauneufs will still be substantial, warm, deeply fruity
wines compared to, say, red Burgundies or Barolos. So when I make reference to
“relatively delicate,” “elegant,” “lithe” or “light on its feet” in my tasting notes,
I am not suggesting that these wines be used at the dinner table as Pinot
substitutes. These are strictly relative terms when it comes to
Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1460043050932-Vincent+Avril+in+the+cellar+at+Clos+de+Papes%2C+where+the+red+wines+are+aged+exclusively+in+large+_foudres_.JPG"> Vincent Avril in the cellar at Clos des Papes, where the red wines are aged exclusively in large foudres 

On The Subject of Drinking Windows&nbsp;

Long-time Châteauneuf
lovers may be puzzled by many of the drinking windows that I propose, which I
can understand. I have enjoyed more than my fair share of Châteauneufs that
were cruising along comfortably into their third and even fourth decade of life
(the 1978s, for example), but my experience also tells me that most examples
are at their best somewhere between their 8th and 12th birthdays.
Beyond that, the wines’ fruit can begin to fade or to become overwhelmed by the
often lofty alcohol component that marks so many wines of the southern Rhône,
especially in hot vintages like 2007, 2003 and 1998. While I love the
complexity that can only come with patient cellaring, given the choice I much
prefer to catch my wines on the way up than on the way down.

I tasted the vast majority
of the wines reviewed in this article during my visit to the southern Rhône in
February, the rest in New York during late winter. Because of the large number
of wines in this article, a separate piece on the white wines of
Châteauneuf-du-Pape will follow next week.You Might Also Enjoy 

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2014-and-2013-northern-rhone-great-wines-if-you-can-find-them-march-2016">2014 and 2013 Northern Rhône: Great Wines If You Can Find Them</a>, Josh Raynolds, March 2016 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/vacqueyras-promising-2013s-and-ready-to-drink-2012s-may-2015">Vacqueyras’ Promising 2013s and Ready to Drink 2012s</a>, Josh Raynolds, May 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/gigondas-new-releases-may-2015">Gigondas&nbsp;—&nbsp;New Releases</a>, Josh Raynolds, May 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.vinous.com/articles/chateauneuf-du-pape-the-lively-2013s-and-the-lush-2012s-apr-2015">Châteauneuf du Pape: The Lively 2013s and Lush 2012s</a>, Josh Raynolds, April 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/the-2013-and-2012-northern-rhone-wines-feb-2015">The 2013 and 2012 Northern Rhône Wines</a>, Josh Raynolds, February 2015 

-- Josh Raynolds

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