Wine Advisor
Henri Bonneau, Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Marie Beurrier 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Deeper in color than the Celestins, as well as more backward, austere and rough around the edges, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Marie Beurrier has an edgy, focused feel in its darker currant, black cherry, leather and bouquet garni-like bouquet. This flows to a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated Chateauneuf du Pape that has high acidity, still noticeable tannin and a firm finish. While this lacks the depth and richness found in the Celestins, and the acidity will be something to watch, I think it will be a long-lived effort that will still be drinking nicely in 2025.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Marie Beurrier possesses fabulous fruit, very good acidity, a tightly-knit, tannic style with plenty of power and richness, but it remains firm. It will undoubtedly spend another two years in ancient wood, so the tannins will no doubt soften, and the wine should expand in flavor as well as texture. It will not be drinkable for 7-8 years, but it should age for 25-30 years. I can’t say enough about the great Henri Bonneau, who seems to be a bigger-than-life character in the spiritual rather than physical sense, and who is an inspiration for every young producer in the Rhone Valley. It is a privilege to taste there, and I am thrilled with how well the tastings went this year. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
About the Producer
Domaine Henri Bonneau's reputation is as legendary as its owner, Henri Bonneau. Its rustic home in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation in the Rhone Valley is situated at the end of a village, its cellars overflowing with large and small aged oak barrels and its stone walls covered in potholes. Dirty cellars, old mouldy barrels, all these conditions are a winemaker's nightmare. But it was here that the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Reserve des Celestins was made, which has been praised by wine drinkers all over the world; it was here that Bonneau brewed his philosophy of a happy nature into the aromas of his wine; it was here that Bonneau brewed the treasures from the La Crau plateau. It is here that Bonneau has turned the treasures of La Crau into an exceptional wine. Henri Bonneau himself determines each speciality, which is graded according to its quality: Henri Bonneau, Marie Beurrier, Reserve des Celestins and Cuvee Speciale, which may be just one of the four or all four. But no matter how they are blended, the winemaking is the same. What also makes Château Henri Bonnot unique is the ageing of the barrels, which come from the Burgundy region and date back to the 17th century. A visit to Henri's cellars is therefore like walking into a museum. The wines produced here are usually aged for more than six years before being bottled unfiltered after Bonnot himself has tasted them. The result is a wine with a powerful bouquet, balanced flavours and a long finish, particularly in the case of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Célestins Reserve red wine, of which around 1,500 cases are produced each year. The best vintages of Château Henri Bonnot have the distinctive taste of concentrated bovine blood, powerfully combined with a thick and viscous texture. The best recent vintages are the 2003, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1985 and 1981.
