Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 in bottle: the top 50 wines

Matt Walls reports on an extensive tasting of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018s now that the wines have been bottled and finds an approachable vintage that’s largely drinkable now with a number of delicious wines he'd be happy to have in the cellar.

By Matt Walls

last updated 30 March 2021

in Tastings

Châteauneuf-du-Pape-Wines — (Image credit: Credit Unknown)

A few weeks ago, a van dropped off some 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape outside my front door for this tasting. As my new neighbours walked past in the street outside, I could sense the concern behind their smiles. After all, this wasn’t a couple of cases. It was a pallet.

Scroll down for Matt Walls’ top 28 Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 wine tasting notes and scores

Normally I’d undertake a tasting of this size in-situ or at the Decanter offices, but with travel restrictions in place, home it had to be. It worked out better than expected; I could taste wines blind then sighted, with food and without, and over several days. I’m pleased, as this is a peculiar vintage that demands extended prodding and poking. It’s not a year that can be easily second-guessed.

The weather

When we think about the weather that produces any given vintage, it’s usually sun and rain that spring first to mind. But in the Southern Rhône, there’s another crucial factor: the wind. The boisterous mistral hurtles down the Rhône Valley, breaking vines and toppling anything that stands in its path. It can be infuriating, but in the vineyards, it acts as a natural disinfectant, drying the vines after rain and shooing away fungal diseases.

Spring 2018 was exceptionally wet in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, throughout March, April and May. And the mistral never came. Hot temperatures and wet vineyards led to a rampant outbreak of downy mildew, the worst in generations. It’s a fungus-like organism that attacks all the green parts of the plant, causing leaves to drop and bunches to desiccate.

Not everyone was hit equally hard, but many producers lost significant amounts of their crop – particularly those in organic or biodynamic viticulture, who didn’t have the necessary firepower to fight back.

When dry weather finally returned, temperatures soared, with 28 days hitting above 30 ̊ C in July. Conditions thankfully remained stable in September and October, so the harvest took place under unhurried conditions.

The character of the vintage

I tasted 130 wines in total, just the reds, enough for a good impression of the vintage. Some estates, such as Château Rayas, Henri Bonneau, Château de Beaucastel, Domaine de la Vieille Julienne and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe prefer to be visited in person rather than supplying samples; since travel is currently restricted, these estates aren’t included in the tasting.

Inevitably, certain wines showed better or worse than the barrel samples I tasted in 2019. But my opinion on the vintage remains broadly unchanged.

In previous decades, this clutch of wines might have looked better than it does today.

See all 50 Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 in bottle tasting notes and scores

Being surrounded by winning years such as 2015, ‘16, ‘17 and ‘19 puts the 2018s in the shade. Nor is it as strong as 2010 or 2012.

Comparisons

In terms of quality, I would rate it alongside 2013 and 2011. These aren’t bad vintages by any means; they’re just the least compelling years of an overachieving decade.

The general style of the vintage is juicy and supple, they are often a little paler in colour than a typical year, with flavours more towards red fruits than black. This is not a year that’s big in tannin or acidity – the opposite is true in fact, the 2018s tend to be fairly gentle in structure.

The less successful wines often lacked aromatic intensity and precision, or had short finishes. Stylistically speaking, the main problems with these Châteauneufs are a lack of acidity and a surplus of alcohol – even more so in 2018 than in a typical year.

Along with their sunny disposition and fairly average concentration, this is an approachable vintage that’s largely drinkable now. The best wines will last into the medium term, up to 20 years or so, but this isn’t a vintage to buy with long ageing in mind. If that’s what you’re after, buy 2016 or 2019.

Despite what some wine merchants would have us believe, this is not an exceptional vintage to rush out and buy. That said, it is far from a bad vintage, and there are a few dozen really delicious wines that I’d be happy to have in my cellar while I’m waiting for the decade’s longer-lasting wines to come round.

See Matt Walls’ top 28 Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 wine tasting notes and scores

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Matt Walls is an award-winning freelance wine writer and consultant, contributing regular articles to various print and online titles including Decanter, where he is a contributing editor. He has particular interest in the Rhône Valley; he is chair of the Rhône panel at the Decanter World Wine Awards and is the owner of travel and events company www.rhoneroots.com.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2018 in bottle: the top 50 wines