Checking in as a blend of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest a handful of varieties, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape was brought up in a mix of foudre and older barrels. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort has a pure, vibrant, incredibly seamless, medium to full-bodied style that carries classic notes of black raspberry and black cherry fruits as well as peppery herbs, violets, spring flowers, and sous bois. This straight-up gorgeous, seamless, ultra-fine 2019 should be snatched up by readers. It has a rare mix of elegance, purity, and power, and it’s going to have two decades of prime drinking.

Ripe and lush as well as vibrant and fresh, thanks to violet and graphite notes that enhance the corpulent cassis, plum and blackberry preserve flavors. Delivers light tar, anise and roasted apple wood notes on the finish. Drink now

Very typical meaty and spicy nose with restrained red and black berries. An elegant, medium-bodied wine (in spite of 15.5% alcohol!) with fine tannins that gently build on the finish. Doesn’t need further aging. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification.