2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Réserve

Winemaker Bruno Gaspard considers 2013 "a very fresh year" because of the wines' juicy natural acidity, and added that the challenge was to take a chance on harvesting late--"or else there could be green elements in the wines because the season got off to such a slow start." He also noted that he finds plenty of elegance in the 2012s as well, "but they also have more weight and power," adding that the wines' round tannins "don't get in the way of the fruit and probably never will." Indeed, these two vintages offer pretty classic examples of the estate's extroverted, deeply fruity style. I found them easy to read, owing to their abundant red fruits and mineral character and their silky textures. I've had very good luck aging Clos du Caillou's wines over the last couple of decades, so don't underestimate their ageworthiness.

In Bruno Gaspard's opinion, "2011 could turn out a lot like 2009 because the ripeness is similar and so are the tannins."He pointed out that all of the 2011s here were bottled at between 16.5% and 17.2% alcohol, "so calling them anything but rich is impossible."While there are definitely plenty of shrill and/or hard-edged wines to be found from 2011, "if you waited for the tannins to soften you didn't have that problem and you also got higher sugars, so it's a question of who was patient and who wasn't."Like a number of his neighbors, Gaspard likens 2012 to 2010 "but with less serious structure, so they'll definitely be for drinking before the 2010s and maybe about the same time as the 2009s."While the wines here have a solid track record for aging, Gaspard prefers to err on the younger side for a drinking plan, citing his own love for wines "where the fruit is still intense and fresh."