For the first time in his career, Henri Bonneau produced a Cuvee Speciale in 1990. The vintage was so extraordinary he let one parcel of Grenache vines hang until the sugars were over 30%. In essence, this is a late harvest Chateauneuf du Pape with 16.5% natural alcohol and 3 grams residual sugar. It took three years to ferment on its wild yeasts and, after aging in cask and foudre for more than four years, it was bottled without filtration. To say this wine will last for 25-30 years is an understatement. When I asked Bonneau what he would serve with such a powerful, rich wine, he spent the next twenty minutes fantasizing about possible match-ups. If readers want to taste the quintessential Henri Bonneau style, as well as how exciting (and exaggerated) Grenache can be when made from such a degree of ripeness and tiny yields, this wine should not be missed. Although too massive to drink now, it should become surprisingly civilized with aging. Sit on it for 7-10 years and drink it over the following two decades. For Rhone wine enthusiasts, it will likely become a collector's item worth its weight in gold.
Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173
粤公网安备 44030502006249号
