2010 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc

The 2010 Clos des Papes blanc, which as I said earlier is an equal part blend of Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc, is aged in stainless steel, with malolactic fermentation blocked to preserve all of its acidity. The 2010 displays honeyed grapefruit, licorice and an almost exotic pineapple note along with a hint of truffle. The wine has superb fruit, precision, minerality and freshness, and should drink nicely for 20-25 or more years. This is one of the great estates in Chateauneuf du Pape, with a history that dates back to the mid-1700s. I believe the Avril family first estate-bottled wine in 1896. Clos des Papes, with its 90+ acres of vines spread among 24 separate parcels in the appellation, is one of the traditional hallmarks of classic, long-lived Chateauneuf du Pape. Everything is aged in old wood foudres, no old vine or luxury cuvee is produced, and the red wine is a classic blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 20% Syrah, and the rest Vaccarese, Counoise, and Muscardin. It is generally not fined or filtered after aging 15 months in these old wood foudres. The white wine is an equal-part blend of Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, Bourboulenc, and one could argue that it might possibly be the longest-lived dry white of the appellation. Tasting here is always a treat, but it takes a while to work through all the different lots and then look at the potential assembled version of the 2010. I was consistently rating each foudre between a low of 92 or 93 to a high of mid- to upper-90s. That is as impressive as 2010 is. Avril told me that the average alcohol in 2010 was high on all the different lots, which is in keeping with recent vintages. (The 2003 was 15.6%, and the 2007 was 15.7%, while the final assembled version of the 2010 is 15.9% and the 2009 is 15.6%.) The 2010, paradoxically, has relatively high acidity compared to other top vintages. Since I had a few extra moments, Vincent opened a 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape blanc, which I rated 93. I thought it was still very fresh and lively. Of course, he ended our tasting with one of the all-time classics of Chateauneuf du Pape and of Clos des Papes, the 1990, which is close to perfection. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173

An absolutely brilliant wine that’s up there in the top 2-3 whites of the vintage, the 2010 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc does not go through malolactic fermentation and sees no oak whatsoever, with everything geared to maintaining as much freshness as possible. Showing racy, intense aromas of citrus, green herbs, wet stone, and touches of honeycomb on the nose, the wine is powerful and very rich on the palate, possessing superb concentration and depth, vibrant acidity, and thrilling focus and cut on the finish. This perfectly proportioned white can be enjoyed now and over the next 2-3 years, but ideally should be cellared for 7-8 years.

The 2010 Clos des Papes blanc, which as I said earlier is an equal part blend of Grenache blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, and Bourboulenc, is aged in stainless steel, with malolactic fermentation blocked to preserve all of its acidity. The 2010 displays honeyed grapefruit, licorice and an almost exotic pineapple note along with a hint of truffle. The wine has superb fruit, precision, minerality and freshness, and should drink nicely for 20-25 or more years. Oct 2011, www.robertparker.com