2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Paul-Vincent Avril reported that the warm and dry weather, combined with devastating August hail, caused a 30% reduction in volume at Clos des Papes in 2022 compared to an average vintage. “On August 14th, we were severely hit by hail on 12 hectares. Only 6 out of 35 hectares were left untouched. Three days later, on August 17th, it rained 15mm, which benefited the rest of the crop suffering from drought. Two days after that, the mistral dried the grapes, causing damaged grapes to fall off. While it remained fairly hot until the end of August, nighttime temperatures gradually lowered to around 17°C (62.6°F), helping to preserve acidities. Harvest for the white varieties commenced on August 30th, and the last black grapes were harvested on September 17th. All grapes were fully destemmed, a practice Avril has followed since 1992. “The potassium stored in stems raises pH during fermentation, which I don’t like given the moderate levels of natural acidity in our grapes,” Avril explained. In the glass, Avril produced a delicious white 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape and an outstanding 2022 red, the latter bottled just two days before my visit. Following a subscriber comment on the Your Say forum, I asked Avril to pour a 2007 red to assess its current state of evolution. This bottle, stored in perfect condition and has never left the winery, confirmed that the 2007 ranks among the finest reds Paul-Vincent Avril has ever produced. In direct comparison, the more structured 2005 was on a faster evolutionary track. Finishing with the 2002 white and red showed that no matter how devastating the growing season – 2002 being the worst vintage the Southern Rhône has seen in the new millennium – Avril manages to produce wines of pedigree and class with extensive aging potential.