Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Jammy blackberry, stone, earth, Provencal herbs, black raspberry jam and spice aromas are all over the place. This voluptuous, full bodied wine finishes with a big mouthful of sweet, jammy berries and kirsch. This is worth buying by the case!

The bouquet is bold, on beef stock, iron, dense black berries, has a poised, integral sweetness, airs of raspberry liqueur, oak smoke. It’s a solid start. The palate has the theme of mineral well placed through it, a lot of mountain of matter, thickening towards the finish. It holds sparkling and dense fruits – cassis, soaked cherries. It is vibrant and very full; there is real flair off its sun-dialled deck. It has great juice; it’s a treat to taste th...

Paul Avril Clos des Papes is a wine producer in the Rhône Valley, making one of the most sought-after wines in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC. The estate is made up of 24 small plots throughout the appellation totalling 32 hectares (79 acres). All of the 13 permitted grape varieties are grown in these vineyards, although Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah are the most important in terms of production. Picking is spread out to ensure maximum quality, and gree...

Clos du Mont-Olivet is located in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France and has been producing red and white wines from the region since 1932. The estate is owned by the Sabon family and is managed by third-generation family members Celine, David and Thierry Sabon. The estate covers 21 hectares (51 acres) of vineyard land around the southern Rhône, and bottles wines from three appellations: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône, and Vin de France. The terroir at...

Delas Frères is an estate based in the northern Rhône Valley, particularly known for its Syrah-based wines from the Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Crozes-Hermitages appellations. The Delas family have been involved in the production of wine in the Rhône Valley since 1835, taking the current name in 1924. The wines have been received well throughout the 20th century, and in 1977, joined forces with Champagne Deutz. In 1993, both were acquired by the Rouzau...

Delas Frères is an estate based in the northern Rhône Valley, particularly known for its Syrah-based wines from the Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie and Crozes-Hermitages appellations. The Delas family have been involved in the production of wine in the Rhône Valley since 1835, taking the current name in 1924. The wines have been received well throughout the 20th century, and in 1977, joined forces with Champagne Deutz. In 1993, both were acquired by the Rouzau...

While the greatness of 2016 goes unquestioned here, Owner and winemaker Daniel Brunier called 2017, "At minimum, a very, very good vintage. We were surprised it's so fresh and balanced." Yields were down by about 50% from the previous year. The emphasis here is on elegance and complexity. "Grenache is fantastic when it's not fruity. It's easy to do extraction and big wines. It takes humbleness to do less, a confidence in the land," Brunier said. More co...

Domaine de Cristia is a wine estate located in Courthézon, in the eastern reaches of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The vineyards are dominated by Grenache, alongside Syrah and Mourvèdre, as well as white grape varieties like Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne and Bourboulenc. This portfolio of grape varieties is the foundation for the estate's two wine labels: Domaine de Cristia and Cristia Collection. Etienne Grangeon founded the estate in the 1950s with j...

Domaine de la Charbonnière is a family-owned wine estate situated just northeast of the town of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, particularly known for its Grenache-based red wines from that appellation. Current owners, the Maret family, trace their association with the property back to 1912, when Eugene Maret bought the estate as a gift for his wife.

A silky, perfumed style, with mulled raspberry and cherry fruit laced with shiso leaf, sandalwood and iron notes, followed by a long, graceful finish that has good latent grip. This seems rather restrained for now, but has the balance to age nicely, with the fruit really echoing through the finish, which bodes well for cellaring. Best served with a myriad of different seafood dishes, shellfish, crab, lobster, sushi, sashimi, chicken, pork and veal, as w...