2015 Chateauneuf du Pape

Moving to the 2015s, this is a solid vintage for this estate and the wines have more fruit and depth than most. A blend of mostly Grenache that was brought up in tank (10% was in older barrels), the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers a ripe, full-bodied, impressively concentrated style to go with lively, fresh notes of dried flowers, exotic spice, incense and both red and black raspberry-like fruit. It’s a winner in the vintage and will keep for a decade. This estate hasn’t missed a beat in the past decade (or more) and their 2015s and 2016s both check-in near the top of the pyramid. It’s worth noting that this estate has started including slightly more stems than in the past while pulling back on the new barrels. Nevertheless, this is one estate who’s wines handle their oak elevage beautifully. They’ve also created a new white special cuvee based on Grenache Blanc and Clairette, and it’s a terrific wine worth seeking out (although I don’t know the price point).