2016 Chateauneuf du Pape

Moving to the reds, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape offers plenty of Bing cherry, spice, and some salty minerality in a fresh, elegant, incredibly Burgundian style. It’s finesse-driven, has terrific purity, and will evolve nicely for 10-12 years. Brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon continue to keep this estate near the top of the hierarchy in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. They produce two whites and two reds from their roughly 80 acres of vines with both the classic red and white seeing traditional vinifications and élevages, and the top red and white Boisrenard cuvées seeing a touch of new oak in their élevage. All the wines show classic characters and shine more for their balance and purity than sheer opulence and power. Despite this, the 2016s are unquestionably the most powerful and concentrated wines from this estate since their incredible 2001s.

Beaurenard has excelled this vintage. The 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape is no slouch, with ample richness, bold cherry and apricot fruit and attractive hints of dried spices and garrigue. Complex, full-bodied and supple, it finishes long and silky. It's two-thirds Grenache Noir, with the rest composed of the 17 other permitted grape varieties.

Deep ruby-red. Highly perfumed red fruit preserve, incense and Asian spice aromas show excellent clarity and pick up a smoky mineral element with air. Sappy, sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering juicy raspberry, cherry and lavender pastille flavors and a touch of spicecake. Closes on a vibrating mineral note, delivering well-knit tannins and floral-driven persistence.