2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

The 2012 and 2011 Chateauneufs produced by Claude Courtil and his sons David and Jerome were among the most elegant wines I tasted during my November trip through the southern Rhone.I daresay they would go a long way toward renewing the lost faith of backsliding Chateauneuf believers who have bought into the notion that all the wines of the region are high in octane and over the top.Which isn't to say that the Courtils' wines are lightweights--far from it, in fact.The remarkable 2007 Cuvee Speciale, some of which is still aging in old barriques, checks in at 17% alcohol, which gives the Usseglios and Janasses a run for their money in the richness stakes.The key, Claude told me, "is to be sure that you're harvesting fruit before there's any sign of raisining, and not just in appearance.You have to taste the grapes to be sure that the freshness is maintained."Freshness is achievable at high sugar levels if you have the right soils and expositions, he went on, adding that "if you harvest here without full ripeness you have high acidity, sure, but the flavors aren't developed and the wine won't age positively."

Following a cool summer, which slowed grape maturation down dramatically, "2011 was saved by a heat blast in September and then warmth almost until November, which pushed up maturity, sometimes dramatically," according to Claude Courtil.This is a small estate at only 8 hectares, and its vines are extremely well-situated on the plateau just north and slightly west of the village.Vinification and elevage are traditional and the Courtils prefer to bottle later than most producers here.In fact, they are experimenting with very long aging, in old, even ancient casks in the manner of Courtil's godfather, Henri Bonneau.