The 2016 Château de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a simply stunning showing in this vintage. It is composed of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Syrah, 10% Counoise, 5% Cinsault and 10% other allowed varietals, with each harvested separately and manually and aged in oak foudres for a year before being bottled. The result is an absolutely beautiful wine which begins with gorgeous aromas of raspberries and dark cherries which come together with florals, spices, wet stones and grilled herbs all coming together in the glass. On the palate this is exudes class and refinement, as it possesses a wonderful texture, with a seamless mouthfeel. It continues to thoroughly impress as it displays remarkable overall balance and finesse along with incredible concentration and length. This is already utterly captivating in its youth, however it possesses the characteristics which indicate an incredibly long evolution ahead. This will ultimately become a special vintage for Beaucastel. (JD)

Bottled only a week before my visit, I was blown away by how well Beaucastel's 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape was showing. It's full-bodied, creamy, lush and rich, with layers of raspberry fruit, garrigue and spice that unfold across a seamless palate. No doubt it will go through cycles of being open and closed throughout its lifespan, but it would be a mistake to simply order a case, put it into storage and forget about it without trying one first and swooning over the sheer lusciousness and youthful complexity. (JC)

Youthfully reticent, but warm and polished in feel, with a large core of cassis, raspberry and cherry puree notes lying in wait for now. Threads of red licorice, warm stone and singed mesquite and cedar emerge steadily through the lengthy finish as the fruit unwinds slowly. Concentrated yet precise. Sock this away in the cellar. *No. 6 Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2019, Collectible* (JM)