2010 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Paul Avril told me that he sees 2011 as "a cross of 2008 and 2007" and said that the best wines are appealingly vibrant, "which will appeal to Burgundy drinkers"; they can also surprise people with their depth.Yields in '11 here were a mere 19 hl/ha, from 24 different parcels, and the final wine should clock in at 15.5% alcohol, which is nobody's--or at least no sane person's--idea of a wimpy wine.He compares his own 2011 to his 1999 and thinks that it will age well thanks to "very good phenolics and structure and a high percentage of mourvedre in the blend."Avril believes that his 2010 "will be closing up soon, maybe even by this coming spring" and he hopes that buyers of the wine "won't be tempted to open it just yet because all they'll see is potential, if they're lucky."He opened his 2008 for me; it's in a very nice place right now, if still youthful, with intense red fruit and floral pastille character and very soft tannins.I'll be surprised if it ever really closes back up, or if it will be an especially long ager, for that matter.The 1999, which Avril showed me as well, is a smoky, deeply pitched wine that's showing its substantial mourvedre component at the moment but its tannins are slowly melting away and the wine drinks quite well right now.Avril lamented the fact that many collectors own so much wine that bottles in their collection may not be drunk at their peak, or, worse, when they're on the downslope."We make it to drink, not to look at or bury", he said.

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.