2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape

"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.

"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.

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."