"The 2009 is a beautiful success."
2009 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Special Pre-Arrival Pricing!
Lowest Pricing in the Nation
Today's pricing puts the 2009 Clos des Papes at about a 50% discount as compared to the 2007.
Which is just crazy, given the quality of the wine.
In fact, the 2009 is one of the most seductive Clos des Papes of recent times, absolutely curvaceous and blanketing with beautifully ripe tannins and just a perfect sense of proportion. While Vincent Avril has said the 2009 reminds him a bit of the hedonistic 2003, keep in mind the 2009 Clos des Papes has less alcohol than the 2003. In fact, it has less alcohol than the already-legendary 2007!
What the 2009 does have is a simply incredible depth of fruit; it is beautifully textured, lush and long. For fans of Châteauneuf, do not miss - today's pricing is likely to be as low as you'll ever see it.
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While 2009 was not an easy vintage, heat and drought put a decent amount of stress on the vines, two important factors helped make the Clos des Papes one of the wines of the vintage. First of all, sorting for the 2009 was extreme. The Southern Rhône can produce some copious yields, but the 2009 Clos des Papes was harvested at about 20 hectoliters per hectare, which is super-low for just about any region.
The second important influence is Paul Avril, a titan of the Southern Rhône who ran Clos des Papes for about a quarter of a century. We think it's much to the credit of this estate that as the vogue for "Chateauneuf super-cuvées" surged throughout the region, Paul Avril believed strongly that the estate would only ever make one red Chateauneuf.
In other words, every year, all of the best fruit goes into their one cuvée - it is not siphoned off for multiple cuvées or held back for rare trophy bottlings. In vintages like 2009, this makes a big difference. Clos des Papes is Clos des Papes and while Paul Avril passed away in 2009, his son Vincent has maintained a similar philosophy and fortitude. The 2007, which Vincent made, has proven that he learned a lot from his father.
The wines at this estate have gone from strength to strength for well over 30 years - Clos des Papes is not only a reference-point Châteauneuf, it also is one of those estates that transcends the region. Clos des Papes is one of the great red wines of France.
While the 2009 Clos des Papes will not go the distance of the 2007, this is not a wine that needs to be consumed in the next year or two. The 2009 certainly has the stuffing and structure to develop for a decade and probably a bit longer. Still, for those of you lucky enough to have some 2007s in the cellar, the 2009 will be a beautiful treat while you wait for the 2007s to reach their heights.
It will not surprise you that we've ordered as much 2009 Clos des Papes as we could; still, quantities are limited. Give us your maximum order and we'll do our best to allocate. To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Back-vintage Clos des Papes are available, including 1990 as well as magnums of 2000.
The 2009 Clos des Papes Blanc is also available.
Click here for a full listing of our Clos des Papes holdings.
Special Email Bottle Price: $99.95
Compare at up to $125+
Special Email 6-Pack Price: $575.70 ($95.95/btl)
Robert Parker: "I tasted through various foudres of the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape and it is unquestionably a top-flight wine for Clos des Papes that is seductive and forward by the standards of this estate. It reminded me of the precocious style of the 2003, and Avril told me the 2009 is less alcoholic than either the 2003 or 2007, and the pH is a normal 3.75. Yields were a very small 20 hectoliters per hectare, largely because of their selection process and the drought. Every foudre I tasted was beautifully pure displaying a deep ruby/plum color, sweet kirsch and black raspberry fruit, full body, decent acidity (they never acidify here) and sweet, velvety tannins. This should turn out to be a mid-90-point wine that will take a back seat to the 2007, possibly even to their monumental 2006, but will surpass what they did in 2008, 2005, 2004, 1999 and 1998. The 2009 is a beautiful success that should drink well for 15+ years."
Wine is pre-arrival!
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