Charvin Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007   

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About

Charvin's wines go from strength to strength with each vintage.  His style is highly distinctive since his vineyards lie in the north of the appellation and are mainly north facing.  Thus, the wines always display a mineral cool and Burgundian elegance.  But it's Chateauneuf so there are rich flavours.  And Charvin manages to get terrific complexity and balance.

Tasting notes

The 2007, is, as expected, stunning.  Incredibly rich and opulent by Charvin's standards, the fruit is so dense and multi-layered with dried and fresh red berry fruits, black pepper, garrigue and mineral salts.  Despite that, the usual energy is here and the length is outstanding. 

Vintage Notes

2007 is stunning.  But it started out very difficult, with a mild winter, early budburst and an April so hot there was fear of another 2003.  Then rain fell in a cool May and June.  The summer became hot with some well timed rain in mid August and it was then beautiful and dry with mistral right through to the harvest which was carried out at perfect maturity

Grapes

85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% Vaccarese

Vine age

40 to 100 years old

Vineyards

14 parcels of vines over 8 hectares near the Domaine in the north-west of the appellation.  The soils are mainly galets roulés on a limestone-marl base and sandy soils.  North facing slopes mean that, particularly in hot years, the grapes ripen more slowly and retain acidity which gives the wine freshness and finesse.  Mediterranean climate.

Yield

30 hl/ha

Harvest

Hand harvested late September

Winemaking

Utterly simple and non-interventionist using wild yeasts in concrete tank

Maturation

20 months in concrete tank

Bottling

Unfiltered and unfined; June 2009; 30,000 bottles (2,500 cases)