2011 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins

There won't be a Marie Beurrier bottling from 2009, according to Henri and Marcel Bonneau, which speaks to their high opinion of the vintage. But I wouldn't assume that this will make it any easier to find their Réserve des Célestins, much less make it any cheaper, in spite of it being the lone bottling from '09. These are among the wildest sets of wines that I taste every year, but, as I've noted before, they show a little more polish and upfront fruitiness nowadays than they did in years past.

I hasten to add that this is strictly relative, so fans of the domain shouldn't fear that Bonneau's wines are any less distinctive than before. Less time in barrel can't be the explanation for today's slightly less wild wines, because Bonneau still insists on "bottling the wine when it's ready." Rushing the wines into bottle (which by this domain's regimen would mean less than four years after the harvest) "would mean that maybe they didn't have a chance to grow," as Bonneau put it this year. That was an especially important concern, he added, in years like 2010 and 2005, "where the wines really want to breathe, and not enough time in cask would have made them too clenched."

Bonneau is a big fan of the 2009 vintage, and to make the point of just how well a warm-vintage wine can age Marcel pulled out a bottle of the 1990 Célestins that was simply ethereal, with the energy of a much younger wine from a much cooler vintage. We followed it over the course of an hour and, if anything, it was more youthful when the glasses were emptied than when the cork was pulled.E241

There won't be a Marie Beurrier bottling from 2009, according to Henri and Marcel Bonneau, which speaks to their high opinion of the vintage. But I wouldn't assume that this will make it any easier to find their Réserve des Célestins, much less make it any cheaper, in spite of it being the lone bottling from '09. These are among the wildest sets of wines that I taste every year, but, as I've noted before, they show a little more polish and upfront fruitiness nowadays than they did in years past.

I hasten to add that this is strictly relative, so fans of the domain shouldn't fear that Bonneau's wines are any less distinctive than before. Less time in barrel can't be the explanation for today's slightly less wild wines, because Bonneau still insists on "bottling the wine when it's ready." Rushing the wines into bottle (which by this domain's regimen would mean less than four years after the harvest) "would mean that maybe they didn't have a chance to grow," as Bonneau put it this year. That was an especially important concern, he added, in years like 2010 and 2005, "where the wines really want to breathe, and not enough time in cask would have made them too clenched."

Bonneau is a big fan of the 2009 vintage, and to make the point of just how well a warm-vintage wine can age Marcel pulled out a bottle of the 1990 Célestins that was simply ethereal, with the energy of a much younger wine from a much cooler vintage. We followed it over the course of an hour and, if anything, it was more youthful when the glasses were emptied than when the cork was pulled.E241

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before." That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young. "But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while? Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?" That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen). He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately." As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today. They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm. The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals. Hands off, please.

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before."That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young."But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while?Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?"That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen).He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately."As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today.They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm.The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals.Hands off, please.

There won't be a Marie Beurrier bottling from 2009, according to Henri and Marcel Bonneau, which speaks to their high opinion of the vintage. But I wouldn't assume that this will make it any easier to find their Réserve des Célestins, much less make it any cheaper, in spite of it being the lone bottling from '09. These are among the wildest sets of wines that I taste every year, but, as I've noted before, they show a little more polish and upfront fruitiness nowadays than they did in years past.

I hasten to add that this is strictly relative, so fans of the domain shouldn't fear that Bonneau's wines are any less distinctive than before. Less time in barrel can't be the explanation for today's slightly less wild wines, because Bonneau still insists on "bottling the wine when it's ready." Rushing the wines into bottle (which by this domain's regimen would mean less than four years after the harvest) "would mean that maybe they didn't have a chance to grow," as Bonneau put it this year. That was an especially important concern, he added, in years like 2010 and 2005, "where the wines really want to breathe, and not enough time in cask would have made them too clenched."

Bonneau is a big fan of the 2009 vintage, and to make the point of just how well a warm-vintage wine can age Marcel pulled out a bottle of the 1990 Célestins that was simply ethereal, with the energy of a much younger wine from a much cooler vintage. We followed it over the course of an hour and, if anything, it was more youthful when the glasses were emptied than when the cork was pulled.E241

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before." That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young. "But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while? Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?" That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen). He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately." As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today. They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm. The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals. Hands off, please.

Henri Bonneau made it clear to me this year that highly structured and/or overly ripe vintages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape aren't his personal preference "because the complexity and terroir are obscured." In fact, he personally prefers the relatively graceful 2006 Celestins to the far more masculine 2005 bottling, and has some (but not many) misgivings about the tannins of 2010, at least at this stage, believing that they will require plenty of barrel aging to show their best. He used some of his colorful female analogies to make his point about finesse over brawniness, opining that "Chateauneuf should be elegant, after all, not brutal." Bonneau told me that he thinks too many wines are being rushed into bottle these days, to the detriment of their character. "Everything is being done with speed in mind now in winemaking, elevage and bottling. People want the quickest solution and lack patience, for almost everything, not just wine, but for all work, and so quality suffers." We tried a bottle of the 2005 Celestins at the end of our tasting and while it is still distinctly young and wound up, its depth of fruit is obvious, as are its tannins. Aeration brought up a sexy floral quality as well as a touch of candied licorice and peppery spices. Readers fortunate enough to get hold of this wine are strongly advised to let it gather dust in their cellar for at least another five years and ideally longer.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

There won't be a Marie Beurrier bottling from 2009, according to Henri and Marcel Bonneau, which speaks to their high opinion of the vintage. But I wouldn't assume that this will make it any easier to find their Réserve des Célestins, much less make it any cheaper, in spite of it being the lone bottling from '09. These are among the wildest sets of wines that I taste every year, but, as I've noted before, they show a little more polish and upfront fruitiness nowadays than they did in years past.

I hasten to add that this is strictly relative, so fans of the domain shouldn't fear that Bonneau's wines are any less distinctive than before. Less time in barrel can't be the explanation for today's slightly less wild wines, because Bonneau still insists on "bottling the wine when it's ready." Rushing the wines into bottle (which by this domain's regimen would mean less than four years after the harvest) "would mean that maybe they didn't have a chance to grow," as Bonneau put it this year. That was an especially important concern, he added, in years like 2010 and 2005, "where the wines really want to breathe, and not enough time in cask would have made them too clenched."

Bonneau is a big fan of the 2009 vintage, and to make the point of just how well a warm-vintage wine can age Marcel pulled out a bottle of the 1990 Célestins that was simply ethereal, with the energy of a much younger wine from a much cooler vintage. We followed it over the course of an hour and, if anything, it was more youthful when the glasses were emptied than when the cork was pulled.E241

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before."That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young."But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while?Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?"That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen).He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately."As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today.They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm.The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals.Hands off, please.

Henri Bonneau made it clear to me this year that highly structured and/or overly ripe vintages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape aren't his personal preference "because the complexity and terroir are obscured."In fact, he personally prefers the relatively graceful 2006 Celestins to the far more masculine 2005 bottling, and has some (but not many) misgivings about the tannins of 2010, at least at this stage, believing that they will require plenty of barrel aging to show their best.He used some of his colorful female analogies to make his point about finesse over brawniness, opining that "Chateauneuf should be elegant, after all, not brutal."Bonneau told me that he thinks too many wines are being rushed into bottle these days, to the detriment of their character."Everything is being done with speed in mind now in winemaking, elevage and bottling.People want the quickest solution and lack patience, for almost everything, not just wine, but for all work, and so quality suffers."We tried a bottle of the 2005 Celestins at the end of our tasting and while it is still distinctly young and wound up, its depth of fruit is obvious, as are its tannins.Aeration brought up a sexy floral quality as well as a touch of candied licorice and peppery spices.Readers fortunate enough to get hold of this wine are strongly advised to let it gather dust in their cellar for at least another five years and ideally longer.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before."That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young."But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while?Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?"That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen).He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately."As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today.They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm.The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals.Hands off, please.

Henri Bonneau made it clear to me this year that highly structured and/or overly ripe vintages of Chateauneuf-du-Pape aren't his personal preference "because the complexity and terroir are obscured."In fact, he personally prefers the relatively graceful 2006 Celestins to the far more masculine 2005 bottling, and has some (but not many) misgivings about the tannins of 2010, at least at this stage, believing that they will require plenty of barrel aging to show their best.He used some of his colorful female analogies to make his point about finesse over brawniness, opining that "Chateauneuf should be elegant, after all, not brutal."Bonneau told me that he thinks too many wines are being rushed into bottle these days, to the detriment of their character."Everything is being done with speed in mind now in winemaking, elevage and bottling.People want the quickest solution and lack patience, for almost everything, not just wine, but for all work, and so quality suffers."We tried a bottle of the 2005 Celestins at the end of our tasting and while it is still distinctly young and wound up, its depth of fruit is obvious, as are its tannins.Aeration brought up a sexy floral quality as well as a touch of candied licorice and peppery spices.Readers fortunate enough to get hold of this wine are strongly advised to let it gather dust in their cellar for at least another five years and ideally longer.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

When I asked Henri Bonneau about the ageworthiness of most modern-day Chateauneufs, he commented that "many wines today are bottled much younger than was the tradition when I was learning, with a lot more reduction than before." That gives a lot of primary "obvious" fruit, he said, which is good for people who like to drink their Chateauneuf when it's young. "But what about after the wine has been in bottle for a while? Will it have the texture of a wine that slowly took on oxygen during elevage, will it have as much complexity?" That led to talk about the tannic structure of wines that are rushed too quickly into bottle (which means pretty much every red wine in the world, measured by the Bonneau bottling regimen). He said that he likes to bottle and release his wines when he thinks that the fruit and tannins are in harmony, "but not so much that they have to be drunk immediately." As I noted last year, the wines here seem to have acquired more polish than in the past, but that's strictly relative as these are still among the most idiosyncratic wines made in France today. They've always had quirkiness and personality to burn, so long-time fans have no reason for alarm. The 2005 Marie Beurrier, which Bonneau opened after our tasting, is still extremely young but displays very impressive depth, energy and concentrated red fruit character and notes of woodsmoke and minerals. Hands off, please.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

Henri Bonneau told me that his thought now is that there will be a single bottling of Chateauneuf from 2008. "It isn't the kind of vintage where you can justify a reserve wine," he explained. "There just isn't enough concentration to the fruit." Over the last few years these notoriously unkempt cellars have become better organized, or easier to understand, and there is clearly a lot more than meets the eye to Bonneau's methodology. The wines also seem brighter, with (relatively) less volatile character than in the past, but their personality has not been compromised. But don't expect Bonneau to suddenly begin releasing his wines earlier. "The wine gets bottled and sold when the time is right for it, not the marketplace," he said.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

Henri Bonneau told me that his thought now is that there will be a single bottling of Chateauneuf from 2008. "It isn't the kind of vintage where you can justify a reserve wine," he explained. "There just isn't enough concentration to the fruit." Over the last few years these notoriously unkempt cellars have become better organized, or easier to understand, and there is clearly a lot more than meets the eye to Bonneau's methodology. The wines also seem brighter, with (relatively) less volatile character than in the past, but their personality has not been compromised. But don't expect Bonneau to suddenly begin releasing his wines earlier. "The wine gets bottled and sold when the time is right for it, not the marketplace," he said.

Once again I left my annual tasting in Bonneau's Cellar That Time Forgot with the distinct impression that the wines here have become, heaven forbid, less rustic and wild in recent years. Nothing has changed in the cellar, that's for sure, although it is actually a bit more organized than in the past, with the most notable change being actual names and vintages of wines chalked onto barrels and tanks. Beyond that, everything's pretty much in the same time warp as ever. Bonneau seemed amused (he's always pretty amused, in fact) by the idea that I found the wines fruitier and easier to read than in the past. "Maybe that's the vintages but maybe it's just you," he said.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

Henri Bonneau told me that his thought now is that there will be a single bottling of Chateauneuf from 2008. "It isn't the kind of vintage where you can justify a reserve wine," he explained. "There just isn't enough concentration to the fruit." Over the last few years these notoriously unkempt cellars have become better organized, or easier to understand, and there is clearly a lot more than meets the eye to Bonneau's methodology. The wines also seem brighter, with (relatively) less volatile character than in the past, but their personality has not been compromised. But don't expect Bonneau to suddenly begin releasing his wines earlier. "The wine gets bottled and sold when the time is right for it, not the marketplace," he said.

This was an eye-opening tasting, as usual-and a good thing, as anything less than open eyes could result in calamity in Bonneau's rabbit warren of a cellar, with its ladders, tight stairwells and hidden drop-offs. It's not easy to get a handle on exactly what is going to wind up in the bottle here. For example, 2003 will likely see a single bottling, even though last year it appeared that the plan was to release both a Marie Beurrier and a Reserve des Celestins. We'll know the final decision some time next spring. Incidentally, during my visit this fall Bonneau made it clear that he was up to speed on current market pricing and the cult status of his wines, and that he is both amused and perplexed by the attention and prices his wines have been commanding for the past decade and a half.

Henri Bonneau joked that he was "an original natural winemaker but I didn't know it until it became a fashion." He was referring to the cultish wave of non-interventionist wines that has swept across France and much of the wine world. "I protect the forests because I don't use any new oak, and my cleaning regimen is water and a brush, with a little sulfur burnt in the casks for safety. That's it." Bonneau noted that 2006 is a very underrated vintage because the wines aren't powerful. "The main point is that they have superb balance," he told me, "which is essential if you want wine to age well." Bonneau works roughly six hectares of vines spread across ten parcels, and his fruit, which is almost all grenache and harvested at ridiculously low yields (around 10 hectoliters per hectare) is not destemmed. As in past years, the names that I have given to each wine noted below are the ones that Bonneau told me they're likely to receive down the road. But there are never any guarantees. For instance, last year he told me he was pretty sure that he wouldn't make a Reserve des Celestins from 2008, but this fall he said that he was still holding out that possibility, hence my two notes for his 2008s this year. I was shocked, in a very good way, by the finesse and clarity of Bonneau's 2008s and 2009s, which showed little to none of the wild, volatile character that can mark these wines in cask.

Henri Bonneau told me that his thought now is that there will be a single bottling of Chateauneuf from 2008. "It isn't the kind of vintage where you can justify a reserve wine," he explained. "There just isn't enough concentration to the fruit." Over the last few years these notoriously unkempt cellars have become better organized, or easier to understand, and there is clearly a lot more than meets the eye to Bonneau's methodology. The wines also seem brighter, with (relatively) less volatile character than in the past, but their personality has not been compromised. But don't expect Bonneau to suddenly begin releasing his wines earlier. "The wine gets bottled and sold when the time is right for it, not the marketplace," he said.

"What is amazing about the 2007s is that you can almost drink them now, straight from the tank," Henri Bonneau marveled at the beginning of our tasting. "The 2006s, on the other hand, are sharper, with great precision, but they don't have anything like the appeal of 2007. " As for the 2005s: "They are for young people, or for their children. People without patience should look at 2004 instead. " No Reserve des Celestins was produced in 2003, by the way, but the Marie Beurrier is stunning. (Bonneau also told me that he thinks that aged wines should be served with young cheeses and young wines with aged cheese. There was a reference to human relationships in there but my French failed me. ) None of the following wines had been bottled when I visited Bonneau in mid-November.

This was an eye-opening tasting, as usual-and a good thing, as anything less than open eyes could result in calamity in Bonneau's rabbit warren of a cellar, with its ladders, tight stairwells and hidden drop-offs. It's not easy to get a handle on exactly what is going to wind up in the bottle here. For example, 2003 will likely see a single bottling, even though last year it appeared that the plan was to release both a Marie Beurrier and a Reserve des Celestins. We'll know the final decision some time next spring. Incidentally, during my visit this fall Bonneau made it clear that he was up to speed on current market pricing and the cult status of his wines, and that he is both amused and perplexed by the attention and prices his wines have been commanding for the past decade and a half.

The Chateauneufs here have become legends in their maker's lifetime, and anyone fortunate enough to try them can attest to the fact that these wines are utterly unique examples of the category, as well as some of the most idiosyncratic wines being made anywhere today.A visit to Bonneau is a step back in time-both in terms of the character of the wines and the bewildering maze of ancient cellars where the wines are raised.Tasting through the range of wines resting in cask here must not be much different today than a century or more ago.Wine lovers who judge wines with the New World as their benchmark are bound to be puzzled if not horrified by the wild, sometimes volatile personalities displayed by these bottlings.Old oak here, it seems, means something from the '90s . . . the 1890s.

The Chateauneufs here have become legends in their maker's lifetime, and anyone fortunate enough to try them can attest to the fact that these wines are utterly unique examples of the category, as well as some of the most idiosyncratic wines being made anywhere today.A visit to Bonneau is a step back in time-both in terms of the character of the wines and the bewildering maze of ancient cellars where the wines are raised.Tasting through the range of wines resting in cask here must not be much different today than a century or more ago.Wine lovers who judge wines with the New World as their benchmark are bound to be puzzled if not horrified by the wild, sometimes volatile personalities displayed by these bottlings.Old oak here, it seems, means something from the '90s . . . the 1890s.

At the beginning of our tasting Henri Bonneau insisted on showing me a sample of 2007 Crau, which was striking for its sweet raspberry fruit and intense spiciness. That vivid, spicy quality is the mark of the vintage, he says, adding that he thinks 2007 will produce a truly great set of wines. I was flabbergasted to see that the ancient casks in Bonneau's cellar now have chalk markings to identify their contents. Of course, this makes figuring out what is what and where much easier, but it sacrifices some of the surreal quality that makes a tasting here such an adventure. Incidentally, the "divers" barrels are destined for the Marie Beurrier bottling but, as is the practice here, things can and probably will change along the way. The La Crau portion is, at least until final selections are made, earmarked for the Celestins. I found the 2006s here to be remarkably fresh, precise and elegant, without the overt ripeness and wild qualities many people associate with Bonneau's wines-but then these wines will receive at least a few more years of elevage prior to being bottled. The 2004s look to be uncommonly graceful as well, while the 2005s bear greater resemblance to "classic" Bonneau wines, with fabulous depth and sauvage character. There will only be a Marie Beurrier bottling in 2003, a year that Bonneau said "only gave us 20 hectoliters per hectare."

This was an eye-opening tasting, as usual-and a good thing, as anything less than open eyes could result in calamity in Bonneau's rabbit warren of a cellar, with its ladders, tight stairwells and hidden drop-offs. It's not easy to get a handle on exactly what is going to wind up in the bottle here. For example, 2003 will likely see a single bottling, even though last year it appeared that the plan was to release both a Marie Beurrier and a Reserve des Celestins. We'll know the final decision some time next spring. Incidentally, during my visit this fall Bonneau made it clear that he was up to speed on current market pricing and the cult status of his wines, and that he is both amused and perplexed by the attention and prices his wines have been commanding for the past decade and a half.

The Chateauneufs here have become legends in their maker's lifetime, and anyone fortunate enough to try them can attest to the fact that these wines are utterly unique examples of the category, as well as some of the most idiosyncratic wines being made anywhere today.A visit to Bonneau is a step back in time-both in terms of the character of the wines and the bewildering maze of ancient cellars where the wines are raised.Tasting through the range of wines resting in cask here must not be much different today than a century or more ago.Wine lovers who judge wines with the New World as their benchmark are bound to be puzzled if not horrified by the wild, sometimes volatile personalities displayed by these bottlings.Old oak here, it seems, means something from the '90s . . . the 1890s.

Henri Bonneau, always a tough judge of vintages,x000D allowed as how the 1998 through 2001 period brought a succession of very goodx000D to outstanding harvests, even if he still believed that 1998 produced winesx000D closest in quality and style to his massive and legendary 1990s. In November, Bonneau was the onlyx000D Chateauneuf grower who insisted that I taste his young 2002. While the wine did not yet show a lot ofx000D texture, it had unmistakable Chateauneuf du Pape aromas and flavors ofx000D raspberry, strawberry and pepper. Bonneau told me that since he owns a 12-hectoliter cuve, he bottles hisx000D wines five and a half barrels at a time. He also mentioned that he currently prefers his 1995 Marie Beurrier tox000D his 1995 Celestins.

This was an eye-opening tasting, as usual-and a good thing, as anything less than open eyes could result in calamity in Bonneau's rabbit warren of a cellar, with its ladders, tight stairwells and hidden drop-offs. It's not easy to get a handle on exactly what is going to wind up in the bottle here. For example, 2003 will likely see a single bottling, even though last year it appeared that the plan was to release both a Marie Beurrier and a Reserve des Celestins. We'll know the final decision some time next spring. Incidentally, during my visit this fall Bonneau made it clear that he was up to speed on current market pricing and the cult status of his wines, and that he is both amused and perplexed by the attention and prices his wines have been commanding for the past decade and a half.

The Chateauneufs here have become legends in their maker's lifetime, and anyone fortunate enough to try them can attest to the fact that these wines are utterly unique examples of the category, as well as some of the most idiosyncratic wines being made anywhere today.A visit to Bonneau is a step back in time-both in terms of the character of the wines and the bewildering maze of ancient cellars where the wines are raised.Tasting through the range of wines resting in cask here must not be much different today than a century or more ago.Wine lovers who judge wines with the New World as their benchmark are bound to be puzzled if not horrified by the wild, sometimes volatile personalities displayed by these bottlings.Old oak here, it seems, means something from the '90s . . . the 1890s.

Henri Bonneau, always a tough judge of vintages,x000D allowed as how the 1998 through 2001 period brought a succession of very goodx000D to outstanding harvests, even if he still believed that 1998 produced winesx000D closest in quality and style to his massive and legendary 1990s. In November, Bonneau was the onlyx000D Chateauneuf grower who insisted that I taste his young 2002. While the wine did not yet show a lot ofx000D texture, it had unmistakable Chateauneuf du Pape aromas and flavors ofx000D raspberry, strawberry and pepper. Bonneau told me that since he owns a 12-hectoliter cuve, he bottles hisx000D wines five and a half barrels at a time. He also mentioned that he currently prefers his 1995 Marie Beurrier tox000D his 1995 Celestins.

Henri Bonneau was in fine form the evening I stopped by in November, having recently completed his fourth consecutive highly successful vintage. Vintages 2000, '99 and '98 will all yield at least moderate quantities of Bonneau's Reserve des Celestins, but don't expect to see these wines on the market for several years. Bonneau's house and cellars at the top of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape date back to the 14th century; his barrels are of somewhat more recent vintage.

This wine was tasted over dinner at Pazo Restaurant in Baltimore, MD.

Henri Bonneau, always a tough judge of vintages,x000D allowed as how the 1998 through 2001 period brought a succession of very goodx000D to outstanding harvests, even if he still believed that 1998 produced winesx000D closest in quality and style to his massive and legendary 1990s. In November, Bonneau was the onlyx000D Chateauneuf grower who insisted that I taste his young 2002. While the wine did not yet show a lot ofx000D texture, it had unmistakable Chateauneuf du Pape aromas and flavors ofx000D raspberry, strawberry and pepper. Bonneau told me that since he owns a 12-hectoliter cuve, he bottles hisx000D wines five and a half barrels at a time. He also mentioned that he currently prefers his 1995 Marie Beurrier tox000D his 1995 Celestins.

Henri Bonneau was in fine form the evening I stopped by in November, having recently completed his fourth consecutive highly successful vintage. Vintages 2000, '99 and '98 will all yield at least moderate quantities of Bonneau's Reserve des Celestins, but don't expect to see these wines on the market for several years. Bonneau's house and cellars at the top of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape date back to the 14th century; his barrels are of somewhat more recent vintage.

Bonneau, always a brutally honest judge of his own wines and Chateauneuf vintages, has had a trio of strong crops since '98. He is enamored of the purity of fruit his vines yielded in 2000, although he not yet sure if the wines will show enough sheer gras for greatness. The '99s, he says, are less dense, but display good freshness and structure for aging. And '98, Bonneau is confident, is at the exalted level of 1990, although he won't even think about bottling the first batch for at least another three years (some of his '98 lots were just finished fermenting their sugars!). An enologist turned loose in this rabbit warren of a cellar would have an infarction: he'd rant about protecting pHs, replacing ancient barrels, racking the wines more often, bottling as much as years earlier. Some of these wines would no doubt be better for earlier bottling, but the wine world would lose one of its most idiosyncratic throwback examples.

The Chateauneufs here have become legends in their maker's lifetime, and anyone fortunate enough to try them can attest to the fact that these wines are utterly unique examples of the category, as well as some of the most idiosyncratic wines being made anywhere today.A visit to Bonneau is a step back in time-both in terms of the character of the wines and the bewildering maze of ancient cellars where the wines are raised.Tasting through the range of wines resting in cask here must not be much different today than a century or more ago.Wine lovers who judge wines with the New World as their benchmark are bound to be puzzled if not horrified by the wild, sometimes volatile personalities displayed by these bottlings.Old oak here, it seems, means something from the '90s . . . the 1890s.

Henri Bonneau, always a tough judge of vintages,x000D allowed as how the 1998 through 2001 period brought a succession of very goodx000D to outstanding harvests, even if he still believed that 1998 produced winesx000D closest in quality and style to his massive and legendary 1990s. In November, Bonneau was the onlyx000D Chateauneuf grower who insisted that I taste his young 2002. While the wine did not yet show a lot ofx000D texture, it had unmistakable Chateauneuf du Pape aromas and flavors ofx000D raspberry, strawberry and pepper. Bonneau told me that since he owns a 12-hectoliter cuve, he bottles hisx000D wines five and a half barrels at a time. He also mentioned that he currently prefers his 1995 Marie Beurrier tox000D his 1995 Celestins.

Henri Bonneau was in fine form the evening I stopped by in November, having recently completed his fourth consecutive highly successful vintage. Vintages 2000, '99 and '98 will all yield at least moderate quantities of Bonneau's Reserve des Celestins, but don't expect to see these wines on the market for several years. Bonneau's house and cellars at the top of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape date back to the 14th century; his barrels are of somewhat more recent vintage.

Bonneau, always a brutally honest judge of his own wines and Chateauneuf vintages, has had a trio of strong crops since '98. He is enamored of the purity of fruit his vines yielded in 2000, although he not yet sure if the wines will show enough sheer gras for greatness. The '99s, he says, are less dense, but display good freshness and structure for aging. And '98, Bonneau is confident, is at the exalted level of 1990, although he won't even think about bottling the first batch for at least another three years (some of his '98 lots were just finished fermenting their sugars!). An enologist turned loose in this rabbit warren of a cellar would have an infarction: he'd rant about protecting pHs, replacing ancient barrels, racking the wines more often, bottling as much as years earlier. Some of these wines would no doubt be better for earlier bottling, but the wine world would lose one of its most idiosyncratic throwback examples.

Henri Bonneau was in fine form the evening I stopped by in November, having recently completed his fourth consecutive highly successful vintage. Vintages 2000, '99 and '98 will all yield at least moderate quantities of Bonneau's Reserve des Celestins, but don't expect to see these wines on the market for several years. Bonneau's house and cellars at the top of the village of Chateauneuf du Pape date back to the 14th century; his barrels are of somewhat more recent vintage.

Bonneau, always a brutally honest judge of his own wines and Chateauneuf vintages, has had a trio of strong crops since '98. He is enamored of the purity of fruit his vines yielded in 2000, although he not yet sure if the wines will show enough sheer gras for greatness. The '99s, he says, are less dense, but display good freshness and structure for aging. And '98, Bonneau is confident, is at the exalted level of 1990, although he won't even think about bottling the first batch for at least another three years (some of his '98 lots were just finished fermenting their sugars!). An enologist turned loose in this rabbit warren of a cellar would have an infarction: he'd rant about protecting pHs, replacing ancient barrels, racking the wines more often, bottling as much as years earlier. Some of these wines would no doubt be better for earlier bottling, but the wine world would lose one of its most idiosyncratic throwback examples.

My annual odyssey through Henri Bonneau maze of cellars began with an early look at the 1998 vintage, which will surely be this Chateauneuf master's greatest year since 1990. The several '98 cuvees I tasted, none of which had finished fermenting their considerable sugars, showed the roasted, confectionery fruit and unctuous, liqueur-like texture that Bonneau and his devoted clients so admire. The black raspberry, kirsch and bitter chocolate notes displayed by the young '98s are unusually vibrant for a vintage that will eventually be bottled with off-the-charts alcohol levels, and the tannic clout of the vintage should see these wines through their long elevage. Although Bonneau often waits as long as five or six years to bottle his Chateauneuf, he noted that the wines are usually racked just once a year, in February and March. At any point in the process, wines not up to Bonneau's standards may be sold off to the negoces

Amongst the constellation of rare bottles that I have tasted over the years, few approach the 1955 Réserve des Célestins from the late Henri Bonneau in terms of an unrepeatable experience at the hands of fermented grape juice. It is a wine that lies on the edge of existence: I have never seen another bottle at auction and have never seen a tasting note. But this bottle appeared without warning at an extraordinary Sunday lunch in West Hampstead, London.