The Rhone valley are just a few days away from completing
what promises to be a great 2015 vintage.
The growers were certainly all
smiles last week and by the time I flew back home on Thursday, all that was
left to pick were a few pockets of Syrah in the North and the red Grenache in
the south. The dry conditions throughout summer, thick skins and healthy
ripe fruit already remind many growers of 2005. The forecast is good for
this week, so fingers crossed.
2014 – Great terroirs, Great winemakers
After a warm Spring, vintage seemed all set to be
early. However summer’s cooler and rainier than average weather delayed
vine growth and grape maturation. In the end the Chateauneuf du Pape red
harvest started in the middle of September and lasted until early October,
whilst the bulk of the Northern Rhone’s hillside sites were picked during the
last week of September. This meant that the grapes’ hang time was long
and they therefore reached full phenolic maturity, resulting in wines that
display incredibly silky textures and luscious, soft tannins. Another
feature of the vintage, thanks to it being cooler than average, is the
tremendous vibrancy and relatively low alcohol levels – up to 1% less than
average in the Chateauneuf wines. This long hang time and a fine
September really made the vintage. There was a downpour of rain on the 18th
September and although the northern plains flooded, the slopes of Cornas, St
Joseph, Hermitage and Cote Rotie drained rapidly – the great terroirs really
showed their worth in 2014.
If there is one major blot on 2014’s copy book, though, is
the wretched fruit fly. There was a strong attack of them as harvest
approached which dictated that the strictest and most back-breaking of
selections be carried out (at least, by those estates wanting to make good
wine.) Up to 30% of the crop was lost thanks to the rigorous sorting that
was carried out. These wines may not have the
concentration of the 2013s but they are a clear level up from 2012 (in the
northern Rhone. By contrast 2012 in the south was one of THE great
Grenache vintages.) In general the 2014s absolutely thrill and charm with
their elegance and ripe, refreshing fruit. It will be an earlier drinking
vintage than most, but who cares the more pleasure the sooner, so much the
better! For the reds, there are no hard edges or pointy acidities, they
deliver pure enjoyment. For the whites, particularly Condrieu, this is an
excellent vintage that offers a rare blend of vitality, refinement and
ripeness.
A word on 2013 – a forgotten vintage? - and also what’s
drinking now
Alongside my barrel samples of 2014 I re-tasted many 2013s
in bottle. What a vintage. I remember rating the Northern Rhones
very highly last year and they are every bit as good if not more so from
bottle. In the south I felt at the time it was a good vintage but nothing
more – however having tasted them again as the finish articles I realise I
underestimated them. Their acidities are on the racy side but they have
ample fruit concentration to cover them, and with relatively low alcohol levels
these are beautifully balanced Rhone wines. 2013 is a great vintage, one
that will age, one that you will want to drink. On the subject of
drinking, I tasted a few 2011s aswell. Whilst this is not to be
considered a great vintage, so many examples, particularly from the southern
Rhone, are drinking very well at the moment, offering wonderfully ripe aromatic
fruit flavours. I also asked growers about which other vintages should be
drunk at the moment and, alongside 2000 and 2001 which have been drinking well
for a couple of years now, growers also mentioned how fine 2004 is looking at
the moment.