2016 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WHITES

Sometimes a great red vintage can mean heavyweight whites at CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE – 1990, for example, although vinification in those days counted with less temperature control, and generally less cellar attention, resulting in thick whites.

The 1978 whites were accomplished, good and tight, however – it was a fresher year than 1990 - and 2016 joins it as a really successful vintage for the whites, offering balance and length, with verve and freshness also in the mix. The balance will allow the wines to show consistently well without too many hidden moments or dips and throughs, and the top notchers will live well into the 2030s.

CROP SIZE HELPFUL

The abundant crop was a factor in aiding the sparkle in the wines, as explained by the new winemaker, a man on whom hopes for a revival rest, at CHÂTEAL LA NERTHE, RALPH GARCIN: “I am delighted, the wines naturally fresh with high yields to help that,” he told me. “Small yields with their concentration and phenolic-tannic style aren’t for me. There is a pH OF 3.4. We didn’t drop any leaves so the grape skins weren’t scorched.” Such finessing of the canopy management would not have occurred 15 to 20 years ago, by the way.

“Hence the white is very crystalline,” he continued, “with good purity, very clear and citrus-leaning. The BEAUVENIR [the special cuvée] is usually 70% ROUSSANNE, 30% CLAIRETTE BLANCHE, but this year the GRENACHE BLANC was superb, with fresh expression, and so we made BEAUVENIR from 78% ROUSSANNE, 22% GRENACHE BLANC.”

The challenge in this precocious year was to avoid excess degree, and to retain freshness. Juggling the different ripening profiles of the four main white varieties, the ROUSSANNE, the GRENACHE BLANC, the CLAIRETTE BLANCHE and the BOURBOULENC, certainly kept growers on their toes. The earliest harvester I spoke to was ISABELLE SABON of DOMAINE DE LA JANASSE at COURTHÉZON in the North-East of the appellation, who told me: “we started the harvest on our white crop [including CÔTES DU RHÔNE] on 31 August.” The JANASSE PRESTIGE BLANC [limited issue, about 1,000 bottles, based on 1980-82 ROUSSANNE] was a first class ****(*) wine this year.

Likewise, ISABELLE FERRANDO of DOMAINE SAINT-PRÉFERT in the South of the appellation, who stated: “my CLAIRETTE BLANCHE was wonderful, and the ROUSSANNE also very good - I harvested it on 31 August at 14.2°.”

The first week of September was a common date for many harvesters this year. FRANÇOIS PERRIN of CHÂTEAU DE BEAUCASTEL told me: “we started the white harvest on 3-4 September.” Their VIEILLES VIGNES ROUSSANNE is exceptional this year.

The grapes of the ROUSSANNE have a tendency to turn golden, and to concentrate their sugars very rapidly, which is why it was near the top of the batting order for the harvest. XAVIER ROLIN of DOMAINE ROGER PERRIN: “the 2016 white is magnificent, with the CLAIRETTE BLANCHE the last variety harvested on 14 September, at 13.5°. We picked the ROUSSANNE on 1 September, the GRENACHE BLANC on 8 September.

Some GRENACHE BLANC crop was at 15°, meaning apricot jam, quince flavours. The lack of rain had concentrated them. But it’s surprising and welcome that there is acidity also. The presence of 40% CLAIRETTE is vital for the blend. The BOURBOULENC came in at 13° to 13.5°, which was also helpful for the balance. The wine ended up at 14°.”

FRANCK MOUSSET of DOMAINE DES SAUMADES felt the heat got the better of his ROUSSANNE, however: “I harvested my ROUSSANNE at 16° on 6 September – it was too hot for it this year, while the CLAIRETTE on PIGNAN [sandy, warm soils] was blocked in its ripening.”

PIERRE PASTRE of CHÂTEAU FORTIA, which, despite being a neighbour of the early ripening CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE, has a less full sun exposure, was happy with his ripening cycle, however: “the ROUSSANNE, GRENACHE BLANC and CLAIRETTE all ripened in tandem,” he informed me, “with a perfect ripening for all three. We harvested on the 18 September, a bit earlier than usual.”

NICOLAS BOIRON of BOSQUET DES PAPES pointed to the benefit of early September rainfall in easing some of the pressure on the crop. “It is a very belle year for the whites that came with very good ripeness,” he related. “The weather was ideal – quite a hot summer, a bit of drought in August, then good early September rains which did a lot of good. That rain helped to spur ripeness, notably in the southern zone. The white vintage is clearly above 2015.”

2016 BLANC SUPERIOR TO THE 2015

Growers spoke in unison about 2016 being superior to 2015, with SOPHIE ARMENIER of the biodynamic DOMAINE DE MARCOUX telling me: “the 2016 white is very joli, a bit more ripe and rich than 2015.” VÉRONIQUE MARET of DOMAINE DE LA CHARBONNIÈRE, always a stylish white these days under the two sisters, recounted: “the white is based on minerality, like a Burgundy. The balance is similar to 2015, with 2016 perhaps richer than 2015.”

THOMAS MAGNI is moving into the driver’s seat at DOMAINE PATRICE MAGNI, and he was delighted with the white vintage: “the yield was correct this year. The acidity level was natural, and the wines have degree, richness. They are complete, exceptional.”

EXCELLENT GRENACHE BLANC, FULL OF INNER FAT

From my tastings, my attention was firmly caught by the GRENACHE BLANC this year. An example is the ****(*) CHÂTEAU DE VAUDIEU CLOS DU BELVEDÈRE, which bears lovely inner GRENACHE fat. Such stylish gras really sets these wines up for great pleasure à table, but also for a long life, with complexity coming through as they move towards 10 years’ old, and beyond. It will definitely pay to cellar these wines, and if any magnums are spotted, they should be snapped up. The most outstanding 1934 DOMAINE ROGER SABON BLANC that I drank with the late and much missed JEAN-JACQUES SABON in the mid 1990s – oxidised on opening, major, fabulous revival after two hours’ open – remains one of the top three white RHÔNES of my career.

There are New Wave wines this year, so those can be drunk early, but the pleasing aspect of this vintage is the number of **** wines and above – adjectives such as “solid”, “nourishing”, “plump”, “stylish” and “genuine” frequent their notes. Hence there is plenty of choice.

LEADING 2016 CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE WHITES