Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Vignobles Gonnet 2008
My wife and I have just (end of September 2011) returned from a short holiday in Provence. This was certainly a special experience and, unsurprisingly included a visit to the famous village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhone wine region. This is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhone Valley. The area under cultivation exceeds 3,200 hectares with at least three distinct types of soil or ‘terroirs’. The endemic rocks in the soil are famous for retaining heat from the plentiful sun and releasing it at night. The powerful ‘mistral’ wind carries away the moisture, therefore intensifying the dry climate. This was very evident to me, along with the typical terrain consisting of small, rounded (tennis ball-sized) stones, ‘galets’ covering the ground as if serving as a mulch. The vines are often distinct in these parts being pruned to a bushwine shape, giving the appearance of an old, rather dishevelled style of vineyard. The product is generally outstanding.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape roughly translates as “The Pope’s New Castle” and it was under Pope John XX11 that the wines in this area came to be known as “Vin du Pape”. It was he who was responsible for building the famous castle, the ruins of which still stand today as a symbol of this renowned appellation.
The AOC (Appellation Controllee) rules in France, allow up to 18 varieties of grape to be grown and used in an appellation wine. In reality the two main varieties, Grenache and Syrah make up the lion’s share of a typical Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine today and as one well-respected wine producer said to me as we tasted his wines, why would he add inferior grape varieties to his wine when they are not good enough to make a wine on their own?
It became apparent to me that 2007 was a very fine vintage and clearly one should look out for wines made in this year. Not surprisingly, when purchasing wines made as recently as 2009, they will benefit greatly from laying down and my goodness does the passage of time produce a marvellous wine!
My recommendation is: Chateauneuf-du-Pape Vignobles Gonnet 2008
This is a superb wine that can be drunk now, it is a Grenache/Syrah blend and is dry, medium-bodied. 14.5%
It is available from Corney and Barrow, www.corneyandbarrow.com