2005 Rhône Valley Vintage

Decanter's vintage guide for red Rhone 2005 describes near-perfect conditions right through until September. In the northern Rhone there were early anxieties when a heavy snowstorm in April hit Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph, but Decanter reports it posed no threat to the vines and the dreaded frosts did not materialise. Across the valley, Decanter says rainfall was minimal through the season, amounting to drought conditions, while daytime temperatures were lower than in the scorching 2003 and 2004 vintages and nights were cooler, so the vines stayed relatively unstressed and the grapes kept good acidity. The Chateauneuf-du-Pape federation's report gives figures for that appellation alone. It summed up the summer there as high but not excessive temperatures, constant sunshine, Mistral and fresh nights. Only 12.5 mm of rain fell in July and August, making 2005 a record drought year there, as 2003 and 2004 had been; the June to August average temperature was 23.4 C, with 46 days above 30 C against 92 in 2003. July and August nights stayed under 17 C and sometimes dropped to 9 C, which the federation says preserved acidity, and veraison came 10 days later than in 2003. Decanter reports that storms in early September replenished parched soils, especially in the southern Rhone, and that the Mistral followed, helping to concentrate flavors and keep the grapes healthy during harvesting. In Chateauneuf-du-Pape the federation records 50 mm of rain on 6 September, with the Mistral reducing the damp that followed and keeping the grapes in a perfect sanitary state. There, ripeness came a week ahead of 2004, and for some vines at the same time, and picking began the day after the Ban des Vendanges, proclaimed on 9 September. Decanter says yields were below average. Chateauneuf-du-Pape made only 97,000 hectolitres, below its ten-year average, for an average yield of 31 hl/ha across the appellation.

• North (Decanter): a heavy April snowstorm on Hermitage, Cornas and Saint-Joseph did no harm, and frost never came
• Whole valley (Decanter): drought conditions, cooler days than 2003 and 2004, cooler nights and good acidity
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape (federation): 12.5 mm of rain in July and August, 46 days above 30 C, then 50 mm on 6 September dried out by the Mistral
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape: picking from the day after the 9 September Ban des Vendanges; 97,000 hl at 31 hl/ha, below the ten-year average

Decanter's guide called 2005 a benchmark vintage for Syrah in the northern Rhone. It described the best wines as having a firm, clear fruit core overlaid with smooth black fruit and peppery tannins, and expected Hermitage and Cornas to be long-lived thanks to their balance and sound acidity.

• Cote-Rotie producers Decanter named among the best: Delas Freres, Clusel-Roch, Rene Rostaing and Yves Cuilleron
• Hermitage producers Decanter named: Ferraton Pere & Fils, Cave de Tain, Domaine du Colombier and Paul Jaboulet Aine
• Cornas producers Decanter named: Johann Michel, Domaine Courbis, Domaine Vincent Paris, Eric & Joel Durand and Domaine du Tunnel

For the south, Decanter rated prestige Chateauneuf-du-Pape very good to excellent, with focused fruit, perfect acidity, rounded tannins and enough matter to handle alcohol levels that were often above 15 percent. The federation's own report describes very dark, deeply colored reds, with the best concentration in Grenache and Mourvedre, aromas of crystallized fruit, prune, liquorice and roasted notes, and a palate of fullness, structure and well-coated tannins. It found the whites very balanced, with floral notes of cherry blossom and fruit notes of citrus and apricot. Beyond Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Decanter found clear-cut, persistent fruit and ripe tannins in Gigondas, full and well-structured reds in Vacqueyras and Lirac, superb Vinsobres that showed how well Syrah can perform there, and excellent Cotes du Rhone-Villages at their best, especially from top domaines in Cairanne, Rasteau, Visan, Sablet and Seguret.

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape producers Decanter named among the best: Domaine de la Solitude, Clos des Papes, Chateau de Beaucastel, Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Domaine Versino, Domaine Font de Michelle and Domaine Giraud
• Also named by Decanter: Domaine La Roubine (Gigondas), Montirius (Vacqueyras), Domaine du Mas de Ste-Croix and Domaine Ste-Anne (Cotes du Rhone-Villages)
• The federation credited the low yield and the season's conditions for a rich, very well-balanced Chateauneuf-du-Pape vintage with long ageing potential
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape's 97,000 hl split into 91,000 hl of red and 6,000 hl of white (federation)