2010 Rhône Valley Vintage

In Chateauneuf-du-Pape, agro-climatologists rated the year cooler and wetter than average. The early months brought 46 frost days there, against an average of 31. From October 2009 to September 2010, Chateauneuf-du-Pape rainfall ran 23 percent above average, close to 800 mm against a median of 642 mm, among the highest totals in 139 years. The first two ten-day periods of May were cooler than normal, as was early June, and by 30 June the heat sum above 10C stood at 629C, against 831C in 2003 and 785C in 2007, a measure of how early or late a vintage runs. Coulure on Grenache in spring was followed by a water deficit in July and August; summer rainfall was the ninth lowest since 1871, and the year counted 55 days with average temperatures above 30C. Cool August nights delayed the start of picking, and apart from a storm in early September the harvest went smoothly. In the Northern Rhone, a difficult spring of wet, cool weather led to uneven flowering. Ripening varied from parcel to parcel, and the northern harvest did not really get going until the end of September, stretching into October. Yields fell in both halves: many northern growers had crops 30 to 50 percent smaller depending on their parcels, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape averaged 27 hl/ha against the 35 hl/ha its rules allow.

• Chateauneuf-du-Pape: 46 frost days early in the year (average 31); rainfall 23 percent above average from October 2009 to September 2010
• Northern Rhone: a wet, cool spring brought uneven flowering
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape: coulure on Grenache in spring, then a water deficit in July and August; ninth lowest summer rainfall since 1871
• Harvest: end of September into October in the north; in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, cool August nights delayed the start and only an early September storm disturbed picking

Jean-Louis Chave, whose domaine is based in Hermitage and St.-Joseph, said: "The difficulty with '10 was the coulure." He described old vines that were very uneven, some carrying many bunches and others few or none, and said he still green harvested the heavily loaded vines to ensure ripening; in his words, "the season did run late and the vines easily ripened what they had." Yields were down 30 to 50 percent for many growers depending on their parcels, and Chave's Hermitage white was cut by half, to just 665 cases. Alcohols ran a full degree higher in 2010 than in 2009, while many vignerons felt the vintage's more substantial acidity and better tannins gave the wines better overall balance.

• Chave on 2010: "The difficulty with '10 was the coulure"
• Yields down 30 to 50 percent for many growers, depending on their parcels
• Chave's Hermitage white was cut by half, to 665 cases
• Alcohols a full degree higher than 2009; many vignerons felt more substantial acidity and better tannins gave better balance

The federation called 2010 a crop small in quantity but high in quality. The average yield of 27 hl/ha, against 35 hl/ha allowed under the appellation's rules, makes it one of the lowest-volume vintages there. The appellation produced 84,777 hl in total, 5,813 hl of white and 78,964 hl of red, from 3,165 hectares in production. A rainy spring and dry summer produced extremely healthy grapes with good tannic structure, and cool August nights favored the synthesis of anthocyanins and polyphenols. Sorting at harvest was kept to a strict minimum. Fermentations went well, the last devatting took place in early November, and malolactic fermentations dragged on a little because of low autumn temperatures.

• Average yield 27 hl/ha against 35 hl/ha authorized
• 84,777 hl produced: 5,813 hl white and 78,964 hl red, from 3,165 ha in production
• A rainy spring and dry summer gave extremely healthy grapes with good tannic structure
• Malolactic fermentations ran slowly in a cool autumn; last devatting in early November

In May 2011, after visits across the Northern Rhone, Wine Spectator's James Molesworth rated 2010 at 94 to 97 points overall, a step ahead of 2009 for its freshness, delineation and balance, as well as richness and depth in the reds, and called the whites easily the best since 2006. He described the vintage as a rare double of racy, structure-filled reds and equally compelling whites, and found it very consistent from domaine to domaine and appellation to appellation. In Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the federation's first tastings of finished wines placed 2010 in line with the great 2001 and 2007 vintages: deep violet reds, intensely fruity noses often with mineral touches, very fresh balance in both reds and whites, and rich, very fine-grained tannins, which it read as strong aging potential.

• Northern Rhone: 94 to 97 points from Wine Spectator, a step ahead of 2009
• Northern whites easily the best since 2006, per Molesworth
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape federation: in line with 2001 and 2007, with very fresh balance in reds and whites
• Chateauneuf-du-Pape reds: deep violet color, intensely fruity noses, rich and very fine-grained tannins