CDP Clos des Papes, Paul Avril Clos des Papes 2013

Tasted out of bottle, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape comes from miniscule yields of 13 hectoliter per hectare (25-39 hectoliters per hectare is normal for the appellation), and hits 14.8% natural alcohol. It has a darker, slightly more concentrated, austere feel than the 2014, and has ample kirsch, blackberry, peppery and crushed rock-like aromas and flavors. Vincent commented that he thinks this vintage will shut down after a few years in bottle, so if you’re going try one in its youth, find the corkscrew. While obviously not a great wine, it’s certainly outstanding and has considerable charm and elegance. It will also have 10-15 years of overall longevity. Drink 2015-2030.

For the first time since 2001, Vincent Avril assembled the wine before putting it into his precious foudres because the crop was so small. The resulting blend is 55% Grenache (as opposed to the more usual 65%), 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah (more than usual). After an extremely tricky year in the vineyard, the vinification was easy. Strict selection was needed because the vines were not in perfect shape. I tasted wines from a range of foudres and found them truly beautiful. It was the energy that was so remarkable after notably meaty, savoury aromas. Muscular, absolutely not heavy on the Grenache, these wines were very different from usual. Very ripe and cool but not skinny. Lovely polish but not over 'made'. Admirably supple and refined. Even elegant. He says 'burgundian' (his highest form of praise). The final alcohol level is only an estimation. 14.5%. Drink 2012-2024

Looking at the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape, which is still aging in foudre, Paul-Vincent normally does four separate blends and keeps them in separate foudre (one with more Mourvedre, one with more Syrah, etc.) before blending everything together prior to bottling. However, due to the miniscule crop in 2013, he was only able to do a single blend. Nevertheless, I was able to taste it from multiple foudres (and unsurprisingly, each showed dramatically different), with most rating in the low to mid-90s. From excruciatingly low yields and hitting 14.8% alcohol, it's clearly an outstanding wine and has pretty, complex aromatics, excellent concentration, medium to full-bodied richness and lively acidity. There's a slight Burgundian feel here, and I suspect it will be reasonably approachable in its youth, with 10-12 years of overall longevity.