2004 Rhône Valley Vintage
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A normal year after 2003 in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, with Decanter finding well-balanced southern reds and a less consistent north.
Decanter called the 2004 weather textbook favourable for the Rhone: a very warm, mild spring and summer, rain in August and a long, cool, dry autumn that let the grapes ripen slowly. Its red Rhone guide found well-balanced southern wines with good purity of fruit but less consistency in the north. For Chateauneuf-du-Pape alone, 2004 was a normal year after 2003, with a dry, windy September of 10 days of Mistral and a low average yield of 30 hl/ha, and the appellation's federation called it a high quality terroir vintage.
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Decanter's red Rhone guide called the 2004 weather textbook favourable for the region: a very warm, mild spring and summer let the grapes flower, set and start ripening well, rain in August refreshed the vines, and a long, cool, dry autumn let ripening carry on at a slow pace, with colour and flavour compounds developing well and little rot. The figures that follow cover Chateauneuf-du-Pape only. 2004 was a normal year in contrast with 2003: the sum of temperatures was 4297 C, with 59 high heat days against 92 in 2003. Days of sunshine during the vine's vegetative period ran 7 percent above a normal year, bringing budbreak and blossoming 10 days earlier than in 2003. Heavy rain fell in August, with 100 mm over August and September, which kept the vines well hydrated through veraison, and 10 August nights under 15 C that helped acidity and colour. September in Chateauneuf-du-Pape was dry and windy, with 10 days of Mistral, giving very good phenolic maturation and highly concentrated grapes at harvest. The appellation made 95,000 hl, below its ten-year average of 102,000 hl, at an average yield of 30 hl/ha, and the federation credited this low yield with helping the quality of the vintage.
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: sum of temperatures 4297 C, 59 high heat days against 92 in 2003
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: budbreak and blossoming 10 days earlier than in 2003
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: 100 mm of rain over August and September, then a dry September with 10 days of Mistral
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: 95,000 hl made at an average 30 hl/ha, below the 102,000 hl ten-year average
- A very warm, mild spring and summer, rain in August, then a long, cool, dry autumn with little rot
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: a normal year in contrast with 2003, with 59 high heat days against 92 in 2003
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: budbreak and blossoming 10 days earlier than in 2003; 100 mm of rain over August and September
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: a dry, windy September with 10 days of Mistral gave very good phenolic maturation
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape made 95,000 hl at an average 30 hl/ha, below its ten-year average of 102,000 hl
- Decanter rated red Rhone 2004 at 3 out of 5: well-balanced in the south, less consistent in the north
North and south
Decanter's guide to the red wines rated 2004 at 3 out of 5 and split its verdict by half of the valley. In the south it found well-balanced wines with good purity of fruit. The north showed less consistency, with wines ranging from fresh and rounded to crisp and green. Decanter still called quality very good across the board, singling out Saint-Joseph, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cornas, Chateauneuf, Cotes du Rhone-Villages and Vinsobres, and named Domaine Coursodon and Alain Graillot as its best producers.
- South: well-balanced wines with good purity of fruit
- North: less consistent, ranging from fresh and rounded to crisp and green
- Best appellations: Saint-Joseph, Beaumes-de-Venise, Cornas, Chateauneuf, Cotes du Rhone-Villages, Vinsobres
- Best producers: Domaine Coursodon, Alain Graillot
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The Chateauneuf-du-Pape federation called 2004 a high quality terroir vintage for its appellation. The federation found ripeness excellent, especially in Grenache, giving colourful wines with a deep purple robe and bluish tints, a nose of jam, black berries, red fruit and fruit in brandy, and liquorice in the mouth for most of them. Decanter's red Rhone guide, last updated in November 2015, filed the vintage under drink now and for early drinking.
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: deep purple robe with bluish tints
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: jam, black berries, red fruit and fruit in brandy on the nose, liquorice in the mouth for most
- Decanter's red Rhone guide, updated November 2015: drink now, for early drinking
- Scope matters: the detailed 2004 weather and yield figures apply to Chateauneuf-du-Pape only, not the whole valley.
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2004: a normal year after 2003; sum of temperatures 4297 C; 59 high heat days vs 92 in 2003; budbreak and blossoming 10 days earlier than in 2003.
- Chateauneuf-du-Pape: 100 mm of rain over August and September, 10 August nights under 15 C, a dry September with 10 days of Mistral; 95,000 hl at 30 hl/ha, below the 102,000 hl ten-year average.
- Decanter (red Rhone, 3 out of 5): well-balanced southern wines with good purity of fruit; northern wines less consistent, from fresh and rounded to crisp and green.
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