Elegant, sweet, juicy, and fresh, there is a purity to the sweet kirsch that defines the wine. The finish focuses on its mineral characteristics that accompany the raspberries, kirsch, and cherries. This is a knockout...

This has good concentration and energy to the dense core of dark fruit and bitter cherry, with great poise and elegance despite its ripeness (an impressive feat for the vintage). Guided by finely crushed mineral accents...

Beautiful stuff and one of the gems in the vintage, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Réservée shows ripe black cherries, scorched earth, sandalwood, and incredibly peppery garrigue and spice. It's medium to full-bodied...

Seductive. Picked just before the Yquem harvest, ripe grapes on the cusp of noble rot, delivering crisp acidity and juicy fruit, a voluptuous mid palate, and a touch of bitterness at the finish, linking back to Yquem. An...

A richly styled, opulent Châteauneuf that offers a streamlined cascade of ripe cherry, licorice root and toasted chestnut. Mineral energy keeps this powering long distance, with a smoldering foundation of iron. Starts off...

Black cherries, strawberries, black raspberries, herbs, pepper, and flowers crowd into the perfume. There is concentration, energy, and layers of ripe, sweet, peppery fruits that linger with fruit and freshness. The wine...

A distinctive, singular style, with tangy, salty layers of apple and melon powered by succulent lemon-lime acidity. Silky and finessed, wafting with smoke and flint on the close. Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and...

The advantages of old vines are perhaps most evident in the more difficult vintages (whether hot and dry or cool and rainy). The 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a strong effort, delivering supple, velvety...

A perfumy, open version, with hints of sanguine animal meatiness underneath the sweet red forest berry and fresh currant flavors, backed by dried lavender high tones. Full but not heavy on the palate, with whiffs of...

Massive and voluptuous, with an expressive gush of cherry and kirsch flavors making this punchy and opulent, with details of sweet spices and red tea. Behind the ripe opulence, there's real depth and character, while the...

Marked by intense florals set against notes of pomegranate and red berries, Vaudieu's 100% Grenache 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Amiral G is full-bodied, almost creamy in texture, concentrated, ripe and rich. Tasted blind, I...

The 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc is beautiful, with a fresh, lively style. Its notes of stone fruits, white flowers, citrus pitch, and crushed stone all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, with a pure...

This is full-bodied yet carries a racy edge, with juicy acidity driving licorice and cherry dusted with spices. Chalky mineral notes bring an earthy depth and firmness to the succulent, salty finish, which shows a waft of...

There’s an earthy, loamy character alongside the red currant, mocha-dusted cherry and juniper notes in this spicy, gentle-edged and plush red. Opulent yet shows a nicely lifted feel midpalate spiked with tobacco and...

From the more clay soils just south of Beaucastel in the Gardiole lieu-dit, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape à la Gloire de Mon Grand-Pere is 100% Grenache that was 50% destemmed and brought up in foudre with a small amount...

Extremely pale in hue, with notes of rose water, creamed peach and melon that turn creamy and rich on the palate. A saline mineral streak adds depth and focus through the refined finish, which is marked by heather, lemon...

Brought up all in tank, the 2021 Côtes De Provence Rosé has a Bandol-like vibrancy and more mineral-laced style. Light salmon-hued, with notes of orange blossom, chalky minerality, and a great finish, it's going to shine...

Crisp black fruit and dried lavender are restrained on the nose but gain richness and ripeness on the palate of this buoyant red. It's laden with plum and cherry flavors yet silky in mouthfeel, freshened by a crush of...

Velvety and seductive, with smoothly polished tannins holding up ripe red currant and cherry flavors edged in iron and baking spices. A bitter cherry pit note at the end contributes to the focused, dry finish, which...

Brilliant ruby. Deeply perfumed red and blue fruit and floral aromas are complemented by suggestions of exotic spices, licorice and smoky minerals. Juicy and concentrated in style, offering appealingly sweet cherry and...

The 2018 Champagne Starck Brut Nature exhibits notes of lemon and citrus oils, but the stone fruit has a silkiness, not the tannic side you sometimes see. It also has hints of savory toast, but it remains very elegant...

Stating 15.5% alcohol on the label, the modern-styled 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Tradition is a blend of 80% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre. Pale ruby-colored, swirling the glass unveils aromas of cooked red and black...

(94+ points) The 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape La Combe des Fous is an assemblage of 60% Grenache (planted in 1905 on sandy soils and typically raised in concrete), 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault and 10% Vaccarese (these are...

A sultry, extroverted style, oozing raspberry coulis and smoked red currant flavors set against cigar box and iron underpinnings. This has a suave texture, with plenty of decadence reined in by the fine tannins and notes...

(91-93 points) At the time of my November 2023 tasting, this had not yet gone through the malolactic fermentation though I underscore that is, curiously enough, not at all unusual for this wine, in fact, it typically does...

The 2022 Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Combe des Fous is not to be missed. Hauntingly floral, it launches with radiant orange blossom, rose petal and crushed violets, mingling with wild strawberries, incense and garrigue. Gently...

A full-throttle and decadent red, this unfurls layer after layer of spiced fruit cake, plum and cherry liqueur grounded by graphite and smoke notes, plus plum skin bitterness. Ripe tannins melt into the structure of the...