2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Papet

Thierry Sabon sees his role as "making sure that the wine is representative of the vintage, in the best way, naturally, which means not imposing extreme winemaking practices to make a wine that's not-of-the-year." So that means that his 2011s are elegant and fresh and for drinking on the young side, "a lot like 2006" he said. His 2010s, on the other hand, "have freshness and power," ensuring a long, positive evolution ahead. Much of that power can be attributed to the naturally low yields (off by almost 25%) brought on by coulure. Sabon told me that as much as likes his 2005s, "the '10s have a better marriage of fruit to tannins, and the tannins aren't as strict as those of '05." (various importers, including North Berkeley Imports, www.northberkeleyimports.com and Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com)

Thierry Sabon told me that he has been exerting a conscious effort to make his family's wines more open and accessible without making them easy, "because the reality is that people really don't want to have to wait for years and years to enjoy their bottles." That said, he has no intent "to get too far away from what people have come to expect here, which is wines that are more about balance than weight." He added that getting richness from the vineyards in Chateauneuf is rarely an issue, "but what is an issue is achieving wines with focus and finesse." Sabon described 2009 as a year that combined the power of 2007 with the elegance of 2006" at his property, but 2010 is a different story: "a unique, very special year where everything went right, except for yields." He calls the later vintage "perfect for the Mont Olivet style: richness with elegance and balance." (various importers, including North Berkeley Imports, Berkeley, CA and Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY)