2010 is in marked contrast to 2009. 2010 was a very late vintage that dragged well into October, just as vintages used to do years ago.

Spring was late and the vegetative cycle was 12 days behind 2009 and 15 days behind 2007. The reason was the winter, which was unusually cold and very long. A temperature of -10.8C was recorded in Orange on January 18th. Frosts were frequent but more unusually still was the amount snow. This is rare for the Rhône, especially the south, but in the winter of 2009/10 it snowed three times and it was cold enough for it settle. There was 40cm around Orange and Avignon and to make it worse there was a howling mistral which must have made the Rhône Valley seem more like the Yukon. There was snow for a week in February paralysing the traffic in Châteauneuf and closing the A7 autoroute.

Tough wintry conditions can be a pain, especially in places like the south of France that are not used to them. But on the other hand snow is also beneficial as it protects the plants from frost, destroys pests and provides the soil with both water and nutrients. The last snows came in March, very late, and then April was fine and sunny, but still cool. May was dull and wet, and flowering came very late, starting at the beginning of June but with wide differences between areas. Changeable weather, sometimes warm, sometimes cold and windy and coinciding with the flowering brought about poor flower set or coulure with the grenache grape suffering most. Areas like Gigondas, which is always a fortnight behind Châteauneuf, had better flowering and so less of a drop in quantity.

There was a little rain on the 16th, which saw mistral, blue skies and rising temperatures, though the nights remained cool. July was dry and hot, sometimes very hot. August continued to be dry and sunny, though temperatures were no more than warm, with cool nights. There was light rain at the beginning of August for some.

There was no drought in 2010 thanks to a combination of the winter snows, the absence of very high temperatures and the cool nights. The size of the crop was very small. All of this helped ensure even and perfect ripeness. There was rain in early September – just enough to give the vines nourishment – and the weather then set fair right to the end.

The quality of the fruit was exceptional. The small crop produced bunches that were light and airy, the berries small, thick-skinned, sweet and with very good acidity.

And the wines?

The wines reflect those growing conditions in the most magical way possible. The colours are as black as I can remember with tannins to match. But the tannins of 2010 are wonderfully polished, sweet with no hint of dryness or bitterness. The wines too are wonderfully aromatic, wild herbs in Cornas, precious violets in Côte-Rôtie.

The southern Rhônes are equally remarkable, perhaps more so as they enjoy a sense of balance that is more often found in the north, with full ripe flavours; but then just as in the syrahs of the north, there is too a sense of freshness and poise. Just like 1961, said Jean Abeille of Château Mont Redon in Châteauneuf. Also remarkable is the alcohol as the degrees are on average a half degree less than 2009 and with a notch more acidity, creating the perfect balance. If the 2010 reds are extraordinary, so too are the whites which taste fresher and lighter than normal and have wonderful fragrance. Good for Condrieu and the aromatic viognier grape.

And to conclude:

2009 and 2010 are two great vintages. 2009 is based on raw power generated by the heat of the sun. 2010 has the perfect balance with exhilarating freshness and fruit, concentration, complexity and infinite length. The debate will go on for many years to come. Happy thought!

Marcel Orford-Williams

Which of these two great vintages will come out on top? This will no doubt be the subject of debate for years to come. They are both very different and will no doubt age differently as well.

2009 was a hot, sunny vintage with high temperatures throughout much of the summer. The northern Rhône was spared the worst effects of the drought and so in general the syrah grapes ripened to perfection. Cornas thrived in the heat and here 2009 is exceptional, possibly one of the great vintages, like ‘91 and maybe even ‘78. Hermitage too was great, and Crozes as well. Results in Côte-Rôtie were more mixed as some vines were still suffering from hail damage from the previous vintage. There were still great results, with Delas producing something quite spectacular.

Some have compared 2009 to 1990 but in Cornas, 2009 is a much greater vintage, and all the wines have a deep tannic structure quite unlike 1990. 2005 comes to mind but 2009 is on a far greater scale with more colour and more fruit. I have just retasted a good many and they are all looking very promising.

The story in the southern Rhône is different and that is because the drought conditions were more severe. The grenache grape simply went into shut-down mode during August. Sugars continued to concentrate but without the grapes actually ripening. Many growers pick when the potential alcohol reaches a certain point, say 14 degrees in the case of grenache. That was not a problem in 2009; grenache had reached that level by the beginning of September but picking then was almost certainly too soon.

I have tasted lots of 2009s from the south and found many that are pale, dry and already washed out. Good producers waited, testing ripeness by eating grapes and crunching pips. Unripe pips are green and taste stalky and bitter. When ripe, they become brown and sweeter tasting. Today many growers don’t even measure for sugars, judging when to harvest by tasting grapes, looking at the pips, the skins and the stalks.

September began with unsettled weather, as is the case in most years, when the Midi is subject to storms at about the time of the autumn equinox. The rains were quite heavy but also beneficial as they had the effect of unlocking the physiological process in the vine and the grapes began to ripen. The rains didn’t last long and soon a mistral set in bringing in dry and sunny conditions to the end of the harvest.

As with the northern Rhônes, there is tannin in the wines here but also a huge amount of ripe fruit. Comparing them to other vintages is not easy as every vintage is different, but there is to me something of 1989 in the style; but more concentrated, as yields were in 2009 were quite low.

Tomorrow attentions will be turned to the markedly different 2010 vintage…

Marcel Orford-Williams