2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes

Bottled end of March (like the traditional cuvée), the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes comes from just two terroirs -- Charbonnière and Esquierons -- since they no longer use grapes from Galimardes, as it was recently replanted due to disease. The wine was completely destemmed and brought up all in concrete tanks. This rocking effort is still a baby in terms of evolution but still gives up a huge bouquet of kirsch, strawberries Asian spices, candle wax, white flowers, and graphite. Deep, rich, and powerful, yet with the hallmark elegance of the estate, it has fine tannin, an awesome mid-palate, incredible purity and a huge finish. It's another great, great vintage for this cuvée that readers shouldn't miss. Brilliant wines emerge from this estate located in the northern part of Châteauneuf-du-Pape which is run with incredible talent and passion by Sophie Armenier. They produce a terrific Côtes du Rhône and Lirac as well as the top Châteauneuf-du-Papes, and their white is increasingly up with the crème de la crème of the vintage.

All Grenache, mostly from sandy soils and aged only in concrete, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a compelling wine. It offers the essence of ripe Grenache in its notes of ripe plums, purple raspberries and stone fruit, then layers on savory-spicy-meaty complexity. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and slightly warm on the finish (it reached at least 16% alcohol), it should provide thrilling drinking over the next decade.

Vivid ruby-red. Powerful raspberry liqueur, cherry pie, incense, potpourri and spicecake aromas show outstanding clarity and pick up a vibrant mineral nuance with aeration. Sweet and seamless in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated but shockingly lithe raspberry, cherry liqueur, five-spice powder and lavender pastille flavors given lift and spine by a jolt of juicy acidity. Blends richness and delicacy with a deft hand and finishes wonderfully long and precise, with pliant tannins adding shape and gentle grip. Is this the wine of the vintage? It's definitely on the (very) short list.