The late Henri Bonneau (1938-2016) is one of the true legends of Châteauneuf du Pape. He is the 12th generation of Bonneaus to produce wine in Châteauneuf and is now aided in the cellars by his son, Marcel. Henri has 6 hectares of vineyards, split between 5.25ha in La Crau (arguably Châteauneuf’s finest terroir) and 0.75ha on stonier soil near Couthézon in the northeast of the appellation.
His wines are produced predominantly from Grenache(80-90%) with small quantities of Mourvèdre, Counoise and Vaccarèse. Henri harvests as late as possible, a policy that usually produces super-ripe fruit although sometimes he does get caught out by October rains. Yields are kept low and vinification and elevage are traditional with the use of wooden foudres and smaller oak barrels. Typically the wine is aged in oak for 3-4 years before being bottled unfiltered. His top cuvée, Réserve des Celestins displays intensely concentrated black fruit and is without question one of the finest of all Châteauneufs.
95-97 Points Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Looking at the barrels designated for the 2015 Châteauneuf du Pape Reserve Célestins, which always comes from the famed la Crau lieu-dit, it offers a big, mouth-filling, chewy profile as well as classic dark fruits, garrigue, pot roast, pepper and cured meats aromas and flavors. It has lots of tannin, but everything is perfectly ripe, and this is a sensational looking effort. It’s worth noting that this will be the last wine ever vinified by Henri, and it certainly looks to be a fitting tribute to an incredible winemaker.