2006 Paul Avril Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Magnum (1.5L)

2007 Clos de Papes - Wine Advocate # 179 - Oct 2008: After tasting the 2006, I was wondering how the 2007 could match it. Well, Vincent Avril asked me how much time I had, and since it was my last appointment of the day, I told him I was totally free, so we basically tasted through just about every foudre in the cellar before moving to the final blend of all the component parts. Vincent Avril was flashing one smile after another as we methodically worked through the foudres. The lowest score I gave any of them was (95-98), and virtually all of them were coming in between 97 and 100 points. I?ll go out on a relatively safe limb and state that I believe the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is the greatest Clos des Papes I have ever tasted! The fact that there should be around 100,000 bottles produced is music to my ears since the biggest complaint I hear about most of the top wines in this journal is that they are always made in such limited quantities. The 2007 will end up with a finished alcohol of about 15.5% and a pH of about 3.8. The average yields for this vintage were slightly higher than in 2006, about 24 hectoliters per hectare, which is essentially under 2 tons of fruit per acre. The 2007 reveals all the characteristics that make Clos des Papes so special, including extraordinary elegance, remarkable complexity in the black raspberry, kirsch, truffle, meaty, Provencal herbaceousness, full-bodied palate, voluptuous, silky tannins, and mind-boggling richness and length. Nothing is out of place, and there are no hard edges in this beautiful Chateauneuf du Pape. The vintage?s cool growing conditions have given the wine a freshness to go along with its substantial size and power. This monumental Chateauneuf is a tour de force in winemaking. It should be relatively accessible in 3-4 years, and evolve along the lines of the 1978, only the 2007 has more to it, so expect it to last at least 30 years. Not to be missed! I have participated in so many exceptional tastings with Paul Avril that it is difficult for me to accept that his brilliant son, Vincent, may be eclipsing the work of his father. Vincent, trained in Burgundy, appears to be pushing things to an even higher level of quality. Nothing has changed in these cellars; everything is still as traditional as you will find. All the wines are kept in foudre, and the red Chateauneuf du Pape blend is one of only a handful in the appellation that contains increasing amounts of Muscardin, Vaccarese, and Counoise along with 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, and some Syrah. The white Chateauneuf du Pape is one of the longest lived of the appellation, and that?s saying something. The Avrils have proven me wrong many times by opening old bottles that I would have believed to be dead, but are still full of life and vivacity.
Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf du Pape, Rouge