Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016: 'This vintage's extraordinary power is worth experiencing'

When looking back at a great vintage that’s now ready to drink, it can make for a rather short column. If the weather was perfect and the wines are brilliant, what more is there to say?

But this is Châteauneuf-du-Pape; even in a good year, there’s usually a considerable qualitative spread.

And one thing I love about Châteauneuf is its unpredictability as it ages; there are always a handful of ugly duckling tank samples that, through luck or skillful winemaking, end up developing into something surprisingly beautiful.

There’s another important element that we need to face. Châteauneuf in a hot vintage like 2016 is inevitably high in alcohol.

But that doesn’t mean they should be avoided – I’ll explain why in a moment.

The growing season

Vincent Avril of Clos des Papes remembers a mild, dry winter with strong winds. The whole year was marked by regular bouts of Mistral in fact, making for healthy vineyards and concentrated wines.

It was Florent Lançon of Domaine de la Solitude’s first year fully in charge of the family winery, and he had just steered the vineyards towards organics.

‘The growing season was relatively easy to manage,’ he says, ‘featuring a cool, dry spring followed by a summer that was considered hot at the time – though far removed from the temperatures we have experienced in recent years’.

After a very dry August, 45mm of rain fell on 14 September. ‘I believe the success of the vintage really hinged on the rainfall,’ says Lançon.

Eric Bonnet of La Bastide St-Dominique agrees, saying that it ‘allowed the grapes to complete their ripening process under excellent conditions.’ It was a long, unhurried pick.

‘Ultimately, it was a harvest that can truly be described as exceptional,’ says Bonnet, ‘perfect fruit health, excellent phenolic ripeness, and a superb balance between concentration and freshness.’

Olivier Mousset, co-owner of Clos St Michel with his brother Franck, is also convinced it’s a magnificent year: ‘For us, 2016 is the most successful vintage in 30 years,’ he says.

Not only was it great in quality, it was generous in quantity. Lançon says that it was the largest crop he’s harvested since joining the estate in 2007.

The tasting

When I tasted the 2016s from tank and barrel in 2017 I was convinced of their formidable potential. Returning to them now, it’s clear that they turned out just as well, if not better, than I’d hoped.

The 2016 vintage will go down in the history books along with 1978, 1990, 1998, 2007 and 2010 as one of the greatest of the last 50 years.

Some wines that showed well to begin with have blossomed into something truly extraordinary, including Château La Nerthe’s Cuvée des Cadettes, Domaine de la Solitude’s Cornelia Constanza and Domaine de Marcoux’s Vieilles Vignes.

Those are wines which often excel in top vintages.

But for many less famous estates, 2016 represents a high water mark, producing brilliant wines that will likely offer great value for money if you can still find them.

They include Domaine du Père Caboche’s Vieilles Vignes Elisabeth Chambellan, Domaine du Grand Tinel’s Hérès, Domaine Tour Saint Michel’s Feminessence and Domaine Albin Jacumin’s La Bégude des Papes.

A quick search online uncovered many 2016s still for sale. Snap them up while you still can.

The style

Vincent Avril sums up the style of 2016 succinctly: ‘A powerful vintage with deep colour. Good extraction, ripe tannins, very good pH levels and good balance.

'It is a very nice vintage for cellaring, one that has gained freshness and elegance over time. The alcohol is well-integrated, so everything is there’.

For the best wines of the vintage, I agree with all of this. Most of these wines have at least 10 years still ahead of them, some 20 years, some even longer.

But despite the overall quality of the vintage, I wouldn’t buy indiscriminately. Of the 54 wines I tasted, there were a dozen or so that missed the mark for various reasons, whether overripe, overoaked or oxidised.

And some were simply too alcoholic.

The burning issue

From the beginning, the alcohol levels on the 2016s felt high – this was my one reservation when I tasted them from barrel.

Of the finished wines I tasted from bottle, only 12 of the 54 had a stated alcohol percentage of under 15%. Some were 16%.

For Grenache to reach its apogee in Châteauneuf-du-Pape – its most complex, texturally sumptuous and terroir-reflective – it has to be fully ripe. And that rarely happens under 15% alcohol.

Alcohol is an important component of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, contributing to its signature richness. But if it sticks out or burns, that’s a problem.

Some were gently warming on the finish, but not excessive. Three wines were way out of balance, and I didn’t include them in my selection on that basis alone.

For the others, the alcohol was technically high, but – crucially – it felt integrated and the wines tasted balanced for the style.

Not all drinks are the same

There is a current trend towards lighter reds with low alcohol. Like a crunchy Cinsault or a fresh Poulsard, they can of course be delicious.

But sometimes it feels like there is a push for all alcoholic drinks to drink the same – to quench thirst above all. But that’s not why we drink wine, not really. Not all wines are made to refresh, and Châteauneuf is a case in point.

Red Châteauneuf is a powerful wine that for centuries has been prized for its ability to age for decades, and take on layers of complex flavour as it does.

When I imagine people passing over these 2016s just on sight of their stated alcohol content, I can’t help but feel they’re missing out. Yes it’s an extreme style, but in wine, sometimes these are what create the strongest memories.

Another prevailing trend is to moderate our alcohol consumption, which is undeniably wise. But the answer here is simple: leave some in the bottle for tomorrow.

If we can’t adapt the way we drink different types of wine, we risk losing out on some wonderful, delicious experiences.

Which is exactly what so many 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Papes have to offer.

Châteauneuf 2016 wines to buy or drink up

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