Wine Advisor
Henri Bonneau, Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins 2007
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
We finished the tasting with the 2007 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve des Célestins, which had been recently bottled. It’s a classic 2007 that has overflowing kirsch, sweet black cherry, garrigue, incense and ground pepper aromas and flavors. Sexy, supple and hedonistic, it’s one mouthful of a Châteauneuf that has no shortage of sweet fruit, texture or length. And given this showing, there’s certainly no harm in drinking this in its youth either.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
I still remember tasting the the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins just after bottling (which, given the long elevage here, wasn't that long ago) and it's still open and sexy today, with that classic, incredible perfume that only seems to come from this estate. Kirsch, garrigue, new saddle leather, truffles and spice are just some of the nuances, and this ruby colored beauty is stacked on the palate, offering full-bodied richness, sweet tannin and a bombastic style that's reminiscent of the 1990. It's a heavenly wine that I suspect will have a long life and drink beautifully for all of it.
Reviewed by: Jeb Dunnuck
Looking at the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins, which was tasted out of barrel at the domaine, it offers up a singular, exotic profile that shows the vintage perfume and freshness, as well as the slightly feral quality of this estate. Kirsch liqueur, roasted herbs, blackberry, cured meats, lavender, incense and ground pepper are just some of the nuances here. This full-bodied, concentrated effort hits the palate with authoritative richness and depth, yet stays incredibly light, fresh and even elegant. Already approachable, with a drop-dead gorgeous texture, it should certainly be worth the extra effort to track down once released. A great, and eye opening, visit that goes to show that sanitation might not be everything when it comes to winemaking, Henri Bonneau’s cellar is as incredibly humid, dirty and packed a cellar as I’ve ever seen. (In comparison, Rayas, which would give some Central Coast winemakers a heart attack, seems as sanitary as the International Space Station.) Nevertheless, Bonneau portrays a zest for life and the sweet nectar that comes out of the barrels could come from nowhere else. It’s also times like that when you realize how lucky we are, as wine lovers today, to have the access to a gentleman like Henri Bonneau and to be able to taste his wines. They won’t exist forever. During the visit, we went through every vintage back to 2005, however, due to the incredible time in barrel prior to bottling (some wines spend upward of 5 years in barrel), I question the correlation to what I tasted to what will actually end up in barrel (or the use of reviewing 2012s and 2011s now, when they won’t be released for years). As such, I’ve opted to just review the 2009s, 2008 (which is in bottle), the 2007 (which, based on my tasting, could be bottled tomorrow and be fabulous) and the 2006, which I reviewed last year for the Rhone Report. Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes blackberry and cherry preserves, candied flowers, licorice and incense, with a bright mineral overtone. Stains the palate with sappy, spice-tinged dark berry and fruitcake flavors that are deepened by a suggestion of fruitcake. At once ripe and lively, finishing with superb energy and length and supple, building tannins. This is surprisingly graceful for a 2007 Chateauneuf, especially at this stage when most of them have gone to sleep or at least are in a sullen mood.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Dense ruby. Sexy mulberry, black cherry, bitter chocolate and licorice on the intensely perfumed nose. This is extremely expressive today. Supple and vinous, augmented by intense dark fruit compote, kirsch, licorice and violet pastille flavors. Lively acidity adds to the impression of intensity. A massive but firmly structured wine that finishes with fine-grained tannins and excellent persistence.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Inky ruby. Deep, penetrating aromas of framboise and cherry compote, with notes of licorice and incense adding complexity. Juicy, palate-coating red and dark berry flavors show eau de vie-like depth and power, with zesty minerals adding lift. The finish strongly echoes the sweet dark berry and floral notes. This should be pretty remarkable when it finally gets into bottle.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Dense ruby. Sexy mulberry, black cherry, bitter chocolate and licorice on the intensely perfumed nose. This is extremely expressive today. Supple and vinous, augmented by intense dark fruit compote, kirsch, licorice and violet pastille flavors. Lively acidity adds to the impression of intensity. A massive but firmly structured wine that finishes with fine-grained tannins and excellent persistence.
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.
