Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2018

The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape has slightly less Grenache than normal (10%) and has a Mourvèdre-dominated bouquet of blue fruits, crushed violets, charred meats, and a distinct minerality. This was a challenging vintage, particularly for Grenache, yet this estate has produced a brilliant wine that has medium to full body, a layered, deep, concentrated mid-palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with most 2018s, it’s going to have plenty of upfront appeal, yet I suspect it will also age gracefully.

The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieilles Vignes combines luxurious richness—honeyed pineapple lushness—with clean, vibrant zest and brine notes to make for an interesting juxtaposition in its youth that demands time in the cellar to meld together into a harmonious whole. In one of the mysteries of the wine world, it will then stay on that plateau of decadent maturity for a decade or more.