2009 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Vincent Avril views 2010 as a pretty unique vintage "because it combines the best attributes of two other great recent years: 2007 and 2005. There's the richness of '07, with the backbone and structure of '05." He also thinks that there's a bit of 1990 character in the 2010s but with more freshness and energy. Avril tole me that he thinks that the 2009s are mostly open and enjoyable right now but that they'll be closing up soon. "It's probably best to let them rest for at least another five years now, otherwise you won't see their quality," he explained. The discussion of yields came up during our tasting and he lamented the fact that quantities in recent years have been way off, "almost ridiculously so. We got 18 hectoliteres per hectare in 2008 and 19 in '09, then about the same for 2010." He pointed out that because of the severe crop-thinning practiced here throughout the year "we never have fruit to sell off and we will never make a second wine." And he was quick to point out that people who are critical of prices here should consider the fact that yields at Clos des Papes are almost always just over half of what is allowed for the appellation and always among the lowest in the area regardless of the year. "Clos des Papes should be looked at as a tete de cuvee bottling," he told me, adding that plenty of super-cuvee Chateauneufs are made from younger vines, higher yields and less-favored vineyards than his single bottling.

Production at the Avrils' estate has been off pretty severely the last three vintages, Vincent Avril told me in November. "In 2010, 2009 and 2008, yields were below 20 hectoliters per hectare," he said, "which is low even for us, with old vines and our regimen of crop-thinning." He was pleased with the extended growing season that '09 provided "because with 35 hectares spread across 24 parcels it isn't good if we have to rush things." Avril is satisfied with his '08 and believes that people are shortchanging the vintage. "Because of its balance, our '08 will be able to age for at least 15 years, probably longer. It will probably be at its peak at about age 10." He added that 2007 is not a year for impatient collectors, who he says should be focused on 2004, 2006 and 2008. As for 2009, Vincent thinks it "is a very good but not great year that will be showing complexity early. Our wine had a very long and slow fermentation so the aromatics are quite pronounced. And because of the low yield [just under 19 hectoliters per hectare] there's good power as well." For a bit of perspective, I asked him what he considered the most recent classic vintage for Chateauneuf du Pape and he named 2000 "because everything is in place and in harmony: rich but not too ripe, fresh but not too acidic, structured but not too tannic. Just balanced." Since 1991 all of the grapes here have been destemmed; the Avrils stopped filtering their wines after 1987.