A rich vintage throughout France

Overall, few winemakers have had cause to complain about the 2018 vintage – whereas the 2021 vintage is the subject of much concern. The reason is simple: a mild winter and spring, and a hot summer with no real heatwaves. The only downside was that some vines in the south of France suffered from water stress, resulting in yields below the average for previous years.

Beyond that, there’s nothing to deplore. Certainly not in Châteauneuf du Pape, which had a great year with no hot weather to damage the development of the grapes. All in all, this is a vintage destined for a great future, so don’t hesitate to bottle a few bottles.

Châteauneuf du Pape reds in 2018

On the red side, Grenache, the appellation’s emblematic grape variety, continues to lead the way. It is particularly at home in these well-balanced vintages and hot summers. It therefore brought its traditional dose of ripe, even jammy red fruit notes, depending on the estate, plot and harvest date.

It should also be remembered that Châteauneuf du Pape is unique in terms of terroir, since its richness lies in the diversity of its soils, which range from rich sandy soils in the north to arid pebbles in the south and on the Crau plateau, and include a whole range of different geologies (clay, limestone, silica…). The secret of the great local winemakers is to compose their wines according to the profiles adopted by the grapes of each zone and the different grape varieties planted. The combination of geological diversity and thirteen grape varieties means that winemakers can always find redemption, even in seemingly disastrous vintages.

The other grape varieties brought the desired complexity to the wines. Discreet this year, the Syrah gives it delicate spicy and floral notes, while the Mourvèdre gives an almost Mediterranean feel to the wines, with aromas reminiscent of the garrigue. These two grape varieties, which complete the famous GSM trio (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre), account for almost 80% of the local vineyard and are always in balance with each other. But in big years like 2018, they compliment each other more than they balance each other out. A game of ping-pong between the three, resulting in superb harmony in terms of aroma, flavor and mouthfeel.

Châteauneuf du Pape whites in 2018

The magic of Châteauneuf du Pape also worked on the whites in 2018. Although much less represented than the reds in the production, they are well worth the detour. Following the same logic as the reds, they are made from a blend of plots and grape varieties (Roussanne, Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette…), which has given us gourmet wines with notes of ripe yellow peach, exotic fruits (pineapple, mango) and white flowers. Wines that deserve to be waited several more years to give them the opportunity to reveal their full potential.