The term ‘out of body experience’
seems as apt as any to describe the metaphysical sensations that
tapdanced through the air during our vertical homage to Henri Bonneau at
Tribeca Grill. I am certain that the sense of disarray we experienced is
largely due to the formidably endowed, 17 plus percent alcohol that most
vintages checked in at, but the evening was packed w/ much more than the
fuzzy buzz that the booze provided. This group of Bonneau wines we
sampled are some of the most singular, phenomenally constituted wines
I’ve had the pleasure of tasting and certainly merit the legendary
status they’ve already achieved.
Henri’s less than conventional methods of elevage (ranging from the
unsanitary to the madly insane) are well documented, but still poorly
understood. Whether or not Michel Roman is the heir apparent to the
Bonneau throne, I couldn’t help but think that these types of wines
will never be duplicated once Henri is no longer at the helm of his
domaine. While tasting the tremendous ’90 Speciale, we broke into
conversation about the 1947 Cheval Blanc (for reasons that I’ll
elaborate on in the tasting notes), causing my mind to wander a bit.
Will these wines become enological artifacts that cease to be reproduced
in the squeaky clean, quality control oriented world of modern wine?
When volatile acidity and residual sugar are looked at with almost
universal disdain, how could anyone else but Henri Bonneau fashion a
’90 Speciale? What sane winery would release their product anywhere
from 7 to 8 years after harvest, waiting for their wines, encased in
filthy vats, to continue to ferment wildly, and unpredictably? While
most winemakers I’ve spoken w/ freely admit that they are control
freaks, who else would take the dramatic risk w/ Grenache, a varietal
prone to oxidation, by letting it stew in the pot for that long? These
are generally not things an oenophile would think of about a
‘living’ legend, but the passing of Robert Mondavi has forced me to
acknowledge the industry’s great people while they are still breathing.
I've become a bit of a softie, not unlike a young man who perilously
gets involved with a femme fatale, who’s obviously over his head and
certain to dump him at the drop of a hat. Better to have loved and lost
they say….
Two quick points and then my fingers are off to the tasting note races:
There are
indisputable variances in these wines. There were two bottles of each
the ’95 and ’92 Celestins that could not have been more different
than one another. While one could argue the two lesser bottles were
flawed to some extent (TCA, TBA or oxidation from a low fill), neither
of the two bottles showed obvious contamination/oxidation signs, they
were simply inferior examples. Several theories are possible; laissez
faire bottling, deplorable cellar conditions, counter-fit bottles or a
concept that I’d like to refer to as ‘Consequences of Extreme
Grenache.’ I subscribe to the latter notion, simply because the
envelope can only be pushed so far, especially w/ minimalist winemaking
that isn’t exactly known for its stability. My experience and research
w/ Grenache has lead me to believe that it has a tendency to behave in
an erratic fashion in the bottle, which I’d imagine is amplified even
more when the grape is pushed to its physiological limits of ripeness.
The ’98 Celestins and ’03 Clos des Papes may prove to be classic
examples of that phenomenon.
The wine service
at the Tribeca Grill is nothing short of superlative. David Gordon’s
knowledgeable teams of sommeliers are as professional, attentive and
passionate as any in all of New York. The only thing at Tribeca Grill
that eclipses the quality of their service is their wine list; rivaling
Mondragon’s famed Beaugraviere for the most breadth and depth of
Chateauneuf du Pape wines across the globe. This is a stop that no
Southern Rhone lover should miss when in New York City.
Now off to the show….
1994 Chateauneuf du Pape
In the game of finding the illusive sweet spot of a wine’s evolution,
this ’94 had to be at as close to its zenith as I can imagine. This
rock solid ’94 opens w/ perfumes of lavender, freshly tilled earth,
graphite and glazed mushrooms. A sweet attack of surprisingly primary
kirsch and raspberry fruit glide along a fresh, medium toned frame and
echo in easy persistence. As balanced and poised as Chateauneuf gets,
minus the rocket propelled fireworks of the vintages to come, 90 points.
1992 Celestins
Out of the two bottles we opened, this was clearly the more youthful and
vibrant; sporting scents of red cherry, olive paste, pipe tobacco and
meat drippings. The palate is by no means blockbuster in weight, but is
striking in its purity, pumping out juicy sun-kissed fruits along a
gorgeous beam of minerality. The Celestins packed a bit more heft and
intensity than the ’94 base cuvee, but certainly isn’t worth the
price hike, 91 points. Can any ’92 Chateauneuf du Papes take this guy
to task?
2000 Chateauneuf du Pape
This showed decidedly less variation (in relation to the ’00 I popped
a couple weeks back) and is certainly a wine who’s potential for
future development belies its orange-tinged ruby color. Sweet scents of
balsamic, strawberry preserve, fried sausage, plum and brick dust greet
the nose. A bit of VA and sur maturite actually goes a long way for this
wine, which still manages to inject bright acidity into its extracted
flesh, as an earthy edge keeps your interest on the mouthwatering
finish. It will be interesting to see if this develops along the lines
of the ’94, but it seems extremely precocious at this stage, 89+
points.
1995 Celestins
Again, this was clearly the best of two bottles, but its evolution
before my eyes really had my head shaking. Initially it seemed like a
barrel sample, w/ monstrous, dry port like intensity to the black cherry
liqueur, peat moss, sage, tapenade, cedar and sweet ganache notes.
Although this was a massive performance right out of the gates, there
was an uncanny lift to the body, never allowing it to be top-heavy and
always maintaining a sense of poise and symmetry. Surprisingly, it
seemed to wane a bit in terms of intensity and it evolved a bit more
than I would have expected over the hour or so it spent in the glass. In
spite of the various curve balls, sound bottles of this should likely
drink well over the next 5-10 years, 95 points.
1998 Celestins
Al and I concur that this is clearly not up to snuff when compared to
the heights that this wine has achieved in past performances (the only
other time I had this it merited a perfect score), perhaps surfacing a
bit from the fore-mentioned ‘Extreme Grenache-ism Syndrome.’ There
was a confectionary tone to this from the start, w/ blowzy scents of
burnt licorice, fudge cake, brown sugar and hints of VA. While not
unpleasant in the mouth, there was an intrusive acidity and oxidative
note that seemed entirely out of place which marred this clumsy,
over-ripe giant a bit more. While there were no noticeable contaminants,
this brings to mind the Marcoux VV ’98 and Clos des Papes ’03 in
terms of bizarre variants from otherwise classic quality wines, 77
points?
2000 Celestins
I don’t know how its possible, but this great vintage produced a
luxury Bonneau cuvee that still seems ‘under the radar.’ This gem
clearly demonstrates the exceptional ripeness of the vintage, but shows
a bit more restraint and allure than I had thought it would bring to the
table. Beguiling aromatics of iron, truffle oil, raspberry cream, fried
pork and gravel shoot out from the glass w/ precision and verve. While
extremely concentrated in the mouth, the thickness and sinew has a
remarkably coy sensibility. There is an almost flirty character to this
wine, closing w/ a beam of rose petal and currant sauce flavors that
just won’t quit. An absolute winner for Bonneau, whether or not he
thinks it is ‘too tasty,’ 95 points.
1999 Celestins
While just about every ’99 Chateauneuf I’ve tasted to this point has
been quick to mature, this has to be the most compact and coiled wine of
the vintage. Tight as a drum, but full of gorgeous hints of Asian spice,
nutmeg, smoked meats and candied orange peel notes that make the knees
buckle. Although the attack is supremely sweet, w/ copious fruits and an
array of heavenly delights lurking in the background, the structure
still has a firm grasp on the palate, pinning it down from totally
bursting. This is a rare occasion in the vintage where the wine demands
cellaring, 94+ points.
2001 Celestins
After our fears that this was a counter-fit bottle were assuaged (come
on, there’s no way Bonneau released this yet, it’s only been 7 years!),
we dove into Pandora’s box of all the devilish Grenache treasures one
could ask for. The bouquet is crammed to the gills w/ bloody beef,
crushed flowers, super-ripe kirsch liqueur and just about anything one
would hope for in supremely decadent Chateauneuf du Pape. The mouthfeel
is absolutely outrageous, cutting a broad swath across the palate w/
ferocious intensity, drive and persistence. While only an infant, the
quality of this vintage is undeniable as this is one hedonistic
thrill-ride, as the jaw-dropping levels of extract reverberate on the
palate for well over a minute. Buckle up your seatbelts for this one
folks, 98 points!
1990 Marie Beurrier
Well, she had some stacked competition, but to be totally honest, this
was my darkhorse surprise of the evening and a complete revelation in
terms of how great a ‘lower tier cuvee’ can perform in a stellar
vintage. An absolutely gorgeous nose broods from the glass with hearty
plum sauce, lead pencil shavings, sweet tobacco and kirsch liqueur
notes. The entry is sappy and decadent, paving the way for an immensely
rich palate, exploding w/ tiers of spicy, unadulterated layers of fruit.
The wine is fabulously textured and as generous as a top vintage of
Celestins. This certainly would shock even the most experienced of
Chateauneuf tasters in any blind line-up and owners of this bottle will
likely enjoy another 5 plus years of top notch drinking from this
vintage…thanks again for bringing this David, 95 points.
1990 Celestins
As far as reputations go, this bottle carried the loftiest expectations,
and those expectations were met by the nose but fell a bit short in the
mouth. A field of ambrosia was paved by the bouquet of black forest cake,
menthol, warm ganache and fresh fig that I could have sit and sniffed
all evening. In the mouth, while the wine was frankly concentrated, it
lacked the depth and length of what I would consider a perfect wine. As
it sat in the glass, the ’90 picked up some steam and started to flesh
out a bit more, suggesting this will continue to cruise in the cellar
& could benefit from a more generous decant, 96+ points.
1990 Speciale
Bonneau has only made the Speciale cuvee twice, the other declared
vintage being 1998. While all of Henri’s wines are late harvest
Grenache, this is a REALLY late harvest Grenache that even the most
ferocious of yeasts couldn’t ferment dry, even after three years of
trying! The wine must be close to 17 percent natural alcohol, and while
there was supposedly 3 grams of residual sugar when it was bottled, it
appears time has begun to convert this dessert wine into an outrageously
compelling table wine. Easily the darkest, most opaque color of the
flight, the nose is nothing short of remarkable, w/ luxurious notes of
roast beef, date bread, truffle butter, freshly cut cedar, brandy soaked
raspberries and spice cake flavors roaring from the glass. In the mouth,
the wine simply has to be tasted to be believed, as it is incredibly
opulent, thick and jam-packed w/ surreal layers that express the essence
of old vine Grenache. Although it hits you over a head w/ a sledgehammer,
the frame of the wine somehow keeps everything shapely and far from
ponderous. Once this elixir traveled down the gullet, the sensual kiss
of a finish must have lingered for close to 90 seconds. Bound to be a
legend and possibly immortal Chateauneuf, I would extend the drinking
window well into the middle of this century and I think owners of this
wine will thank their lucky stars that they’ve held onto such an other
worldly bottle when they finally decide to dive in, 100 points. |
