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Very discrete on the nose at this early stage. Rounded, very generous on the palate, plenty of fat. This is balanced by great driving intensity, citrusy acidity and a seam of salinity. The overall effect is bombastic and flamboyant, but fresh and balanced. The oak use is also generous, but it works with the wine. The alcohol is just a touch on the high side, but it’s entirely forgivable in the grand scheme of things. Incredible length. Drinking Window 2021 - 2032.Decanter | 97 DECA tiny production, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Fontaine Blanc is beautifully done and certainly ranks with the top wines of the vintage. Based on 100% Roussanne, it has a smoking bouquet of buttered citrus, caramelized white currants, toasted bread, and a touch of nuttiness to go with a medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated style on the palate. With bright acidity, good mid-palate depth, and a great finish, this serious Roussanne can be enjoyed now or cellared for 10-15 years, if not longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDThis is 100% Roussanne vinified in oak. A perfumed, smoky sip, it balances notes of sweet spice, vanilla and tobacco leaf against a core of honeyed tangerine and apple flavors. Luscious and leesy on the palate, it’s held upright by a fresh streak of lemon and hints of white pepper on the midpalate. Inviting young, the wine should hit a second peak after 2030. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEPlump and open, with warmed brioche, peach and melon notes backed by heather and salted butter on the finish. Shows a late hint of macadamia nut. This is for fans of the flattering style. Drink now through 2023. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Colombis comes from more sandy soils and is all Grenache raised in demi-muids. Wild strawberries, cherries, flowery incense, lavender, and loamy earth all make an appearance, and it’s full-bodied, has a deep layered texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s another wine that needs a few years of bottle age, but it will deliver the goods over the following 15+. This is Grenache at its most elegant and seamless.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDThe 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Colombis is all old-vine Grenache, vinified entirely as whole clusters and matured in demi-muids. On the nose, there are some minty-stemmy notes but also wonderful suggestions of garrigue and vibrant fruit—red raspberries, cherries and stone fruit. It’s full-bodied and silky on the mid-palate, then long, spicy-peppery and firmly tannic on the finish. While not unapproachable or unenjoyable even now, it should benefit from several years cellaring and live close to two decades. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPDeep, shimmering ruby. Expansive, mineral- and spice-accented red and dark berry preserve, incense, cola and garrigue qualities on the finely detailed nose. Palate-staining cherry pie, raspberry, boysenberry, floral pastille and fruitcake flavors show uncanny energy for their depth. The spice and floral notes dominate a seriously long, sappy finish framed by velvety, well-knit tannins.Vinous Media | 96 VMA really lovely expression of pure Grenache, it feels very naturally presented and unforced. Might take time to really express its complexity however, I would hold on to this for 10 years before opening. Very fresh and well balanced, with fine tannins. Largely sandy soils, a small lieu-dit to the west of the village. All fermented and aged in tronconic vats.Decanter | 95 DECSo silky this version seems expressive at first, but the core of cassis, cherry purée and raspberry fruit is tightly coiled, with both chalk and iron notes having their say, stretching out in unison through the finish. Black tea and garrigue hints peek in as well, which is a sign of what’s to come after cellaring.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The star of the Delas whites is the 2019 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes Blanc, based on Marsanne from L’Ermite, Le Sabot (the bottom portion of Les Bessardes) and La Tourette. Barrel fermented and aged in approximately one-third new French oak, it offers scents of crushed stone, pencil shavings, toasted coconut, ripe pear and melon, plus hints of citrus. Full-bodied and rich, it’s creamy in texture and weighty on the palate, yet with great persistence and lingering flavors. Delicious now, I suspect it will close down within the next year or two, yet it should be capable of aging for up to two decades, adding layers of richness and truffled complexity.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RPStill a bit youthfully compact, but there’s focus and drive to the mix of salted butter, acacia, quince, lemon curd and white peach flavors. This has polished edges offset by a racy spine through it all. Cellar for maximum effect. Marsanne and Roussanne. Best from 2022 through 2032. 475 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA fresh, fine, direct fragrance - quince, pear and plum. Very rounded and generous on the palate, a little on the fat side. This has real depth however. There’s a vein of acidity buried in the wine which will help give it some freshness, but it’s not as fresh as some this year, it’s very full-bodied, but still very good. Fermented and aged in new and recent barriques, partial malolactic. Drinking Window 2021 - 2029.Decanter | 95 DEC

A bigger, richer wine, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Lieu-Dit Pignan is loaded with ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruits as well as classic pepper, garrigue, and violet notes. It’s a beast of a wine on the palate and is full-bodied, deep, powerful, and concentrated, with no shortage of fruit or texture. Give bottles 2-3 years and enjoy over the following decade. This cuvée is 75% Grenache and 25% Mourvèdre that was completely destemmed and aged in concrete, with 20% in older barrels.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDFrom one of the appellation’s sandy lieux-dits—Pignan (Nord)—the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Lieu Dit Pignan is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre, aged in demi-muids. Scents of tar, espresso and mocha lead into notes of black cherries and black raspberries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is velvety and moderately rich, tannic but ripe, with a long, nicely textured finish.Drink Date 2023 - 2035Robert Parker The Wine Advocate | 92 RPFrankly rich and ripe, with a cascade of dark plum, boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit flavors that cruise through, with notes of bittersweet cocoa, anise and fruitcake filling in along the way. Lush in feel, this flirts with exotic in the end and should age on a faster track. For fans of the showy style. Drink now through 2030. 350 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

A massively rich effort, the 2019 Hermitage Cuvee Emilie Blanc—made almost entirely of Marsanne from the Maison Blanche lieu-dit—boasts scents of crushed stone, pencil shavings and ripe melon. Full-bodied, expansive and plush in the mouth, it showcases the power of white Hermitage without being overwhelming, and it finishes long, with robust hints of licorice that provide a refreshing note. Drink it now or forget it for a decade and drink it from 2031-2040.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA step up over the 2018, the 2019 Hermitage Cuvée Emilie Blanc is young and unevolved yet has promising notes of honeyed peach, orange marmalade, raw oak, and citrus pith. Medium-bodied and elegant on the palate, it has plenty of texture, good concentration, and a clean finish. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and should keep for 15 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 91+ JD

This estate makes incredible whites, and the 2019 Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes Blanc is well worth seeking out. Revealing a medium gold hue as well as great aromatics of white peach, pineapple, white flowers, and spice, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a rounded, elegant texture, bright acidity, and a great, great finish. It’s stunning today and I suspect it will keep for upwards of a decade.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDBright and well-defined right from the get go, with both rich and racy green melon, green plum, white peach and star fruit flavors, laced with a lemon shortbread hint. The long finish lets the fruit play out, while a honeysuckle note adds range. Drink now through 2024. 500 cases made, 80 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSThe honeyed and cedar-inflected 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes Blanc shows a bit too much oak on the nose, but it serves to structure the wine on the palate, pushing the pear and melon notes into something more focused and refreshing than it would be otherwise. It’s still a ripe, round wine, marked by oak spice and lingering wood on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90 RP

Fresh and easy-going aromatics, tarragon and violets beneath the fruit. Full-bodied, a little gummy in texture, but there’s a good sense of fluidity to the wine. Clearly defined confit citrus on the finish. Not quite as grand as a typical Châteauneuf perhaps but very good. Very drinkable, with a saline finish. Drinking Window 2021 - 2026.Decanter | 96 DECShows a creamy edge, with a mix of lemon curd, white peach and yellow apple fruit flavors, backed by hints of brioche and macadamia nut. A subtle stony underlay gives it spine on the very stylish and lengthy finish. Drink now through 2026. 300 cases made, 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThe only 2019 white I was able to taste (the 2018s were also reviewed last year), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Boisrenard Blanc is a richer effort, yet still stays chiseled and focused, with classy notes of pear, white flowers, crushed citrus, and hints of honeysuckle. It shows a kiss of salinity on the palate and is medium-bodied, has bright acidity, and a beautiful finish. This is going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and will keep for a couple of decades or more in cool cellars.Jeb Dunnuck | 94+ JDThere are just 4,000 bottles of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc Boisrenard, which comes from 70- to 100-year-old vines. It’s mainly Clairette and Roussanne, but includes the other four white varieties authorized in the appellation as well. Vinified and matured in large-format oak, it does show some classy hints of cedar shavings on the nose and a wonderfully slinky, silky texture on the medium to full-bodied palate, both serving to highlight the wine’s restrained melon and citrus flavors. Impressively concentrated and balanced, I’d expect this to drink well for up to a decade, at which time it should be nicely truffled and almost decadent.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RP

Lovely peach, pear and yellow plum notes form the core, with well-inlaid acidity for support and light verbena and shortbread accents gilding the lush finish. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2024. 300 cases made, 10 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBeautifully pure quince, ripe peach, and caramelized citrus notes emerge from the 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Blanc, which shows a more medium-bodied, clean, vibrant style. It doesn’t have the richness of the Saint-Joseph releases, yet I love its purity of fruit as well as its balance. It’s going to gain depth with a year of bottle age and keep for 7-8 years, probably longer.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JDVery good - this is a fairly rich style of white Crozes, the oak is quite lovingly applied, but it works well. Lacks a bit of focus, but it’s enjoyable with concentrated pear and melon flavours. Drinking Window 2021 - 2022.Decanter | 90 DEC

Vibrant mandarin, really fresh and lively aromatic display. Has some glycerol gummy softness on the palate, but the wine has a nice sense of fluidity and brisk acidity. Very well balanced, fresh, clear-cut and precise. Well-integrated oak, fruit to the fore. Really deliciously drinkable. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 94 DEC

Classic notes of quince, crushed stone, honeysuckle, toasted bread, marzipan, and white flowers emerge from the 2019 Hermitage Blanc, a rich, full-bodied white with a dense mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish. This is head-turning stuff that has some up-front approachability, yet its tight, backward, concentrated core of fruit suggests that 2-3 years of bottle age are warranted, and it’s going to keep for 30 years or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDCrackling campfire and toasted brioche accent flavors of preserved yellow peach, pineapple and crème brûlée in this masterful white. An 80/20 blend of Marsanne and Roussanne matured 12 months in oak foudre, it’s creamy on the palate, with a delicately warming, brandy-soaked kiss on the finish. Delicious young, the wine should gain even more nuance from 2030 through 2040 and hold further.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBaked apple, pineapple, peach, dried jasmine, lemon curd, flint, cardamom and spice on the nose. It’s full-bodied, complex and intense. Long, ripe, layered and wonderfully spiced, with a creamy, almost oily texture. Lingering notes of salted butter and minerals accompany a fresh lift on the finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSA rich and showy wine, with singed brioche and salted butter notes leading off, followed by creamed yellow apple, mirabelle plum, melon and mango notes all mixed together. The finish features a buttery hint, with an echo of macadamia nut. One for the hedonist crowd. Marsanne and Roussanne. Drink now through 2024. 400 cases made, 5 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes (100% Grenache) brings more opulence and sexiness, with a more unevolved vibe in its ripe black fruits, violets, toasted spice, and Provençal garrigue-like aromas and flavors. Brought up in equal parts used barrels, new French oak, and demi-muids, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, incredibly elegant texture, ripe tannins, and one hell of a great finish. This is a Grenache lover’s dream, and it should continue drinking brilliantly for another 10-15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDA strapping young wine, brimming with dark plum paste and boysenberry compote flavors that are carried by racy licorice snap and fruitcake notes. The lively back end shows a hint of bramble and a touch of tar, giving this energy and power as it courses through the finish. Best from 2023 through 2038. 300 cases made, 50 cases impoWine Spectator | 96 WSBetter balanced than the Renaissance, not so much oak with the natural power of the fruit to the fore. It’s very ripe, quite muscular and towards sweet in profile. A bright, zingy, technicolour style, polished and sleek, but will have plenty of fans. Warming alcohol. 100% old-vine Grenache from the lieu-dit Cristia sandy soils. Matured in barriques and demi-muids for 18 months, one-third new oak. Drinking Window 2022 - 2033.Decanter | 94 DECAll Grenache, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes matured in a mix of demi-muids and barriques, with about one-third new oak. Faint herbal notes and nuance to this wine’s cedar, vanilla and black cherry flavors. It’s full-bodied, concentrated and reasonably tannic, but it finishes silky and fine. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91+ RP

I loved the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Clairette de Gabriel and this beauty is up there with the finest whites in the vintage. All Clairette planted in limestone soils, this vivid gold-hued beauty offers a beautiful, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, balanced style as well as classic notes of white flowers, dried pineapple, honeycomb, and subtle waxy nuances. It’s rich yet stays weightless and elegant, with a terrific sense of freshness (although I suspect the acidity is quite low) and purity. It’s going to evolve for 10-15 years or more, although there’s no need to delay gratification.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDAlluring, with lemon curd, heather and macadamia notes out front, followed by yellow apple, white peach and mirabelle plum notes. The long finish is both showy and defined, with a hint of white truffle lurking, ready to blossom with cellaring if that’s your bag, though hard to lay off it now. Drink now through 2027. 111 cases made, 25 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThis has a smoky, spicy nose with all the softness of Clairette behind. The oak regime is robust, but unusually this Clairette has the concentration and presence to handle it. It adds a toastiness and accentuates the citrus dimension. Intense and driving, almost outrageously flavoursome for Clairette. 1,600 bottles made. Pure Clairette Blanche grown on limestone in lieu-dit Vaudieu, fermented and aged half in new barriques, half in older ones. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032.Decanter | 95 DEC

Marvelously complex, deeply fruited and massively concentrated yet wonderfully drinkable, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Perrin challenges the number of superlatives that can be thrown at it. Scents of violets, tree bark, truffle, purple raspberries and blackberries all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, dense and velvety, and the finish shows enormous richness and length. Breathtaking stuff.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 100 RPThe tiny production 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is the customary blend of roughly 60% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, and the rest Syrah and Cinsault that’s brought up in foudre. One sexy, powerful, full-bodied Southern Rhône, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a kaleidoscope-like array of blueberry, scorched earth, candied violets, pepper, and some almost northern Rhône-like meaty, smoky nuances. Full-bodied and incredibly pure, with a stacked mid-palate and ripe, supple tannins, it’s another vintage of this cuvée that will undoubtedly offer pleasure in it youth yet won’t hit prime time for a solid 7-8 years, and it should see its 30th birthday in fine form.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDGlass-staining ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet features black raspberry, cherry liqueur, boysenberry, exotic spice and floral scents that show outstanding definition and smoky mineral lift. Sweet and penetrating in the mouth, offering wonderfully concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, violet pastille, spicecake and savory herb flavors that possess unlikely vivacity for their depth. The strikingly long, floral- and spice-driven finish is shaped by steadily building tannins that play nicely with the wine’s intense fruit.Vinous Media | 98 VMThis is really packed, with a stunning core of pure violet, raspberry and plum pâte de fruit flavors that glide through seductively, belying the power that’s in reserve, thanks to a well of singed alder and mesquite, worn leather and warm stone notes. The finish cuts a broad and deep swath, with the fruit showing serious staying power and superior definition. Mourvèdre, Grenache, Counoise and Syrah. Best from 2025 through 2045. 400 cases made, 210 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 98 WSGorgeous perfume just jumps out the glass here, strongly scented and inviting. This is succulent and sweet, with an almost cherry kirsch, alcohol kick to this but in an excellent way. Mouthwatering and brimming with energy, there’s depth, spicy edges and a silky smooth mid palate. It’s seductive and heady while also complex, nuanced and layered. A long life ahead. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2046Decanter | 96 DECSuch beautiful black cherries, fresh earth, sage, basil and flowers on the nose, following through to a medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and an attractive, lightly chewy finish. This is very long and fresh with balance and purity. Give it five or six years to come around and show itself.James Suckling | 96 JS

Inky ruby. Smoke- and mineral-tinged aromas of ripe red and dark berries, pipe tobacco, olive paste, incense and vanilla, with a suave floral note building in the glass. Youthfully chewy and expansive on the palate, offering intense black raspberry, bitter cherry, licorice, cola, candied violet and allspice flavors that tighten up and become sweeter on the back half. Finishes sappy and extremely long, with resonating florality and mounting tannins that add shape and a firm closing grip.Vinous Media | 98 VMOffers up gorgeous fruit, with creamed açaí and blueberry mixed with warmed cassis and a flash of dark plum, which holds center stage while licorice snap, violet, apple wood and sweet bay leaf accents fill in the background. Shows terrific grip through the finish, setting this up for a long life. Best from 2025 through 2040. 10 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 97 WSA rich, more broad, opulent wine, the 2019 Ermitage Les Greffieux has lots of darker berry and cassis-like fruit as well as textbook Northern Rhône Syrah notes of pepper, bouquet garni, leather, and woodsmoke. I love its depth and richness on the palate, and it’s full-bodied and has beautiful balance, supple tannins, and a great finish. It already offers pleasure and will continue doing so for another 20-25 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe creamy, almost lush 2019 Ermitage les Greffieux boasts knockout aromas of violets, crème de cassis and red raspberries. Full-bodied, yet fine and silky in feel, it’s a terrific example of this terroir, showing its hallmark accessibility and tremendous balance and elegance on the long finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPA distinct smoky vein running through this year. Powerful, very ripe, muscular but juicy with great freshness and power. The alcohol is slightly raised, but it’s such a big, impressive wine with very ripe, massy tannins. Drinking Window: 2028 - 2036Decanter | 96 DECIncredibly dense nose of elderberries with some raw meat and smoke. At least as massively structured as it is concentrated, this is almost too much to take at this early stage in its development, but the tannins are already beautifully integrated and all it needs is a couple of years in bottle to calm down a little. Very firm, stony finish that has so much energy. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Best after 2024.James Suckling | 96 JS

Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape XXL is pure magic and one of the most singular wines out there. Based on 65% Grenache and the rest Syrah and other varieties, it was only 30% destemmed and brought up all in demi-muids. Where previous vintages of this beauty were almost over the top, the 2019 shows a more elegant, pure, balanced profile as well as incredible aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, herbes de Provence, ground pepper, violets, and other notes of Southern Rhône-like goodness. Incredibly powerful and opulent, it somehow manages to stay perfectly balanced, has a wonderful sense of freshness, silky yet substantial tannins, and an awesome finish. Unfortunately, there are just over 300 cases produced, so it won’t be easy to find, but this ranks with the all-time greats. It deserves 4-5 years of bottle age and should evolve for 30 years if well-stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JD

The extroverted 2019 Cote Rotie La Turque is about as impressive a young wine as I’ve tasted at Guigal, with extravagant, blossom-like aromas and oodles of cassis and blueberries. Full-bodied, it’s simultaneously concentrated and rich yet airy and almost weightless, an outrageous juxtaposition of characters that must be tasted to be understood.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98-100 RPI was blown away by the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Turque, which comes from a tiny parcel in the Côte Brune and is fermented with a touch of Viognier as well as a small amount of stems. It too has a smoky, meaty, gamey profile as well as full-bodied richness and tons of mid-palate depth and concentration. It’s another serious 2019 with structure to spare, remarkable purity, flawless balance, and a great finish. As usual, it’s not for the instant gratification crowd and is going to demand 10-15 years of bottle age.Jeb Dunnuck | 98-100 JDA big step up in quality from La Mouline this year, it’s deeply savoury with smoked meats on the nose at this stage. Full-bodied but not excessive, this is round and generous with tannins that are massy and ripe. The oak is robust and well judged and it ends very deep with a powerful, but lifted, saline finish. Great depth on show, very fine, it’s big but not excessive. On the Côte-Brune, planted by Marcel Guigal in 1980 (first vintage 1985) after having been abandoned since 1935. La Turque is a central part of Côte Brune, less than one hectare. At the beginning of its 42 months in new French oak barriques.Decanter | 97 DECBright and energetic on the intensely fragrant nose, displaying ripe black/blue fruit, vanilla and floral scents that pick up olive and exotic spice notes as the wine stretches out. In a powerful, fruit-driven style, offering appealingly sweet cherry, blackberry, mocha and allspice flavors, plus suggestions of licorice and cola. Finishes extremely long and smooth, with just a hint of fine-grained tannins and an assertive jolt of minerality.Vinous Media | 95-97 VM

Leading off the three single parcel releases, the 2019 Côte Rôtie La Mouline is an absolute blockbuster of a wine that has incredible depth, richness, and concentration while holding onto a rare sense of elegance, balance, and seamlessness. Incredible floral and orange blossom notes give way to more smoked game, tapenade, sweet black raspberries, and subtle vanilla. This full-bodied, utterly heavenly Côte Rôtie is more reserved and straight compared to the 2018, but it nevertheless already offers a huge amount of pleasure. It will hit maturity in 7-8 years (a decade will probably be better) and have 30+ years of overall longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDThe 2019 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline is textural and concentrated, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, spices, pepper, gentian and cedar, all framed by a delicate touch of oak. Full-bodied, broad and creamy, it’s enveloping and layered, built around a fleshy, deep core of fruit framed by sweet, powdery tannins, concluding with a long, perfumed and gently ethereal finish. This is a beautiful rendition of this emblematic cuvée.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPGreat nose of summer flowers and ripe blackberries with a glaze of toasty oak. A very graceful wine in spite of all the power and concentration. Feels almost weightless until you get to the finish where you feel the enormous structure that lurks just below the surface. A cuvee of 89% syrah and 11% viognier. Matured in 100% new oak for 42 months. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSThe 2019 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline bursts with juniper, black cherry, crushed violets, cured meat, vanilla, cedar and a splash of mint. Medium- to full-bodied and remarkably polished, the flamboyant 2019 presents substantial power and density yet neatly maintains balance though fresh acidity. Give this tightly knit La Mouline another five years in bottle, and start enjoying it while waiting for the 2019 La Landonne to come around.Vinous Media | 96 VMMeaty, chewy and gamy, this substantial red shows beautiful floral lift, with salty mineral energy cruising alongside earthy notes of forest floor, revealing a swatch of black fig puree and mocha. Offers depth, substance and textural beauty, with mouthwatering acidity adding surprising tension and brightness through the dark core. Just beginning to show its tremendous potential. Best from 2025 through 2042. 90 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThere’s a touch of currant on the nose here which gives a very ripe impression. Cola oak dominates the palate at this early stage, and the finish is dry. It’s powerful and structured, and the intense oak and alcohol combine to give a sweet effect on the finish. Attractive aromatics lie in wait underneath the oak, so give this time. Gneiss and loess soils of lieu-dit Côte Blonde. Fermented in stainless steel, aged for 40 months in new oak barriquesDecanter Magazine | 93 DEC

One of the top handful of wines in the vintage, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée De Mon Aïeul is all Grenache, from the different terroirs (one sand, one clay, and one limestone) that was 50% destemmed and aged all in older demi-muids. Reminding me of the 2007 with its incredible perfume of ripe black raspberries, strawberries, flowery incense, peppery and Provençal garrigue, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a round, expansive texture, gorgeous tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. A wine of incredibly purity, precision, and elegance, yet also with power and opulence, this sensational effort is in need of 3-4 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDTypically a standout even amongst the best of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this monumental bottling is sourced from 75- to 90-year-old Grenache planted in a diversity of pebbly, sandy and clay soils. Fermented partially in whole clusters, it offers black-cherry and raspberry flavors that are herculean in ripeness yet silken and deft, lifted by streaks of salt, crushed stone and smoke. A stunner in youth, the wine will likely improve through 2035 and hold further.Wine Enthusiast | 98 WEAll Grenache, all whole cluster, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul combines hints of menthol and steaminess with big blackberry and raspberry fruit. Full-bodied, creamy and lush, it finishes long and velvety, a tour de force of Grenache.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96 RPThis has the heady edge of the vintage, with gutsy blackberry, plum and fig compote notes forming the bulk of the wine, while singed juniper, warm stone and tar notes score the finish. Delivers a nice licorice snap at the very end for a finishing kick. Best from 2023 through 2035. 300 cases made, 160 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2019 Cornas Les Vieilles Vignes is similarly inky colored and has a classic nose of plums, Asian spices, sandalwood, and iron. Medium to full-bodied, with good acidity and ripe tannins, it doesn’t have the sheer weight, richness, or girth of the Vieilles Fontaines, yet it’s certainly a more classic Cornas that will be approachable with just 3-4 years of bottle age yet evolve for twenty years if you’re so inclined.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThis is packed with succulent cherry, plum paste and blackberry fruit flavors that show hints of mulled spice, dried anise, singed tobacco and sweet tapenade as they move through. A mouthwatering mineral edge extends the lengthy finish. Cellar patiently, then serve with game for the full seduction. Best from 2024 through 2038. 1,265 cases made, 225 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSVivid purple. Displays expansive, finely detailed aromas of blueberry, kirsch, black pepper, violet and exotic spices, with hints of olive and cola in the background. Fleshy and broad in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated black and blue fruit preserve, smoky bacon and floral pastille flavors that are lifted and brightened by a building mineral nuance. Chewy and appealingly sweet on the strikingly persistent finish, which features youthfully chewy tannins and resonating florality.Vinous Media | 95 VMRipe fruit on the nose with a touch of roasted spice embedded into the fruit. Full-bodied, mouth-coating ripe fruit and ripe tannin. The acidity is remarkably high and well balanced. The alcohol, however, does peep out just a touch. Tannins are not quite as velvety as the 2020, and there’s a touch of dryness. But nonetheless this is very good for the vintage. From lieux-dits Combe, Patou, La Côte, Tézier, Mazards, Chaillot, old vines of Chapelle St Pierre (the same plots for the cuvée Les Chailles, but further up the slopes). Racked in May, bottled in June, released in the autumn. 20% whole bunch, three weeks maceration, 20 months in oak, 10%-15% new.Decanter | 93 DECNow, this is more like it. A big step up from the disjointed Les Chailles, the 2019 Cornas Vieilles Vignes is a classic rendering of Cornas, with hints of crushed stone, mint, blueberries and red berries on the nose. It’s medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated enough, yet it’s not overbearing or heavy; it’s just deliciously drinkable and will drink well for more than a decade. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

The 2019 Côte Rôtie Lancement is beautiful and a classic representation of this great terroir. Exotic flowers, bacon fat, spice, and red and black fruits define the bouquet, and it’s as Côte Rôtie as it gets, offering medium to full body, a seamless, elegant, yet also structured mouthfeel and a great finish. Beautifully done, it will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and have upwards of two decades of prime drinking.Jeb Dunnuck | 96+ JDDeep violet color. Mineral-accented dark berries, cherry-cola, candied flowers and exotic spices the highly energetic nose. Juicy and seamless in texture, offering concentrated black raspberry, bitter cherry and boysenberry flavors that are underscored by a vein of smoky minerality. Deep but vibrant as well, with fine-grained tannins building slowly on a very long, floral-driven finish that leaves resonating blue fruit and spice notes behind.Vinous Media | 95 VMAnother tiny-production wine, with just 1,200 bottles made, Garon’s 2019 Cote Rotie Lancement is built along similar lines to the family’s Les Cochins bottling, utilizing 20% whole bunches and 30% new oak. The Lancement shows more violets and raspberries on the nose, giving it a greater sense of charm, but it still retains a touch of coarseness on the palate, with a rough, open-knit feel; hints of mocha emerge on the finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

Gorgeous nose, with dried rose, nutmeg and tobacco leaf. Enjoyably rich and generous on the palate, rounded and soft. There’s a tangy balsamic touch to the berry fruit, that’s ripe but not excessively so. Fairy opulent but not excessive, with a long finish. Aged in barriques for 18 months.Decanter | 95 DECSaturated ruby. High-pitched red and blue fruits, candied flowers and botanical herbs on the highly fragrant nose. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet boysenberry and black raspberry flavors that are complemented by suggestions of licorice, vanilla and smoky bacon. Finishes very long and smooth, with repeating florality and rounded tannins lending subtle grip.Vinous Media | 94 VMThe 2019 Côte Rôtie Le Combard comes from a terraced lieu-dit in the southern part of the appellation. It’s another elegant, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated wine from this family estate that shines for its balance, purity, and length. Offering more blue fruits as well as ground pepper and some obvious minerality, give it a few years and enjoy over the following 10-15.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThere are just 1,200 bottles of the fine, elegant 2019 Cote Rotie Le Combard. Marked by scents of violets, alpine strawberries and ripe cherries, it’s medium to full-bodied, silky and charming, with a lovely hint of black tea emerging on the lengthy finish. It should drink well for at least the rest of the decade.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92 RP

I loved the 2019 Gigondas Les Hautes Garrigues, one of the finest vintages of this cuvée under the helm of Benjamin Gras. Medium ruby-hued, with gorgeous meaty, peppery, Provençal aromatics, it needs plenty of air, and while it started out closed and reticent, it blossomed with time and shines for its purity and complexity. Full-bodied on the palate, with a concentrated mid-palate, flawless balance, and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDDeep ruby. Displays intensely perfumed red and blue fruit preserves, licorice, exotic spice, potpourri, smoky minerals and cured meat scents. Stains the palate with sweet boysenberry, cherry-cola, fruitcake and black cardamom flavors that smoothly meld depth and vivacity. Round, even tannins lend shape to the impressively long finish, which strongly repeats the floral and mineral notes.Vinous Media | 96 VM

Lastly, the 2019 Cornas Mère Michel is one of the finest Syrahs in the report. Dense purple-hued, with a brilliant, powerful nose of ripe blackberries, graphite, charcoal, ground pepper, and barbecued meats, this thrill-a-second wine is full-bodied and has incredible purity of fruit, building tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and one heck of a great finish. It will probably merit a perfect rating in 5-7 years and have 30 years of longevity.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDInky ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry liqueur, potpourri, cracked pepper and olive paste, along with a smoky quality that builds with air. Displays impressive depth and breadth to its lush black and blue fruit, exotic spice and smoked meat flavors; a floral nuance emerges on the back half. Finishes appealingly sweet and very long, with steadily building tannins and lingering floral and spice notes. These are all Serine vines, planted in 2011 so still quite young, especially by the standards of Cornas.Vinous Media | 94 VMRipe, lushly styled waves of blackberry and black currant preserves are backed by singed alder and tobacco leaf notes and a strong tug of burly tar through the finish. The combination makes for an impressive rendering of Syrah. 15 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

A powerful, concentrated version of this cuvée, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape delivers gorgeous aromatics of ripe red and black fruits, roasted garrigue, cured meats, and Provençal spice with street market-like nuances. It’s full-bodied on the palate, with ripe, velvety yet building tannins and a layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel that carries this riveting, loamy earth-like minerality through the finish. This is an absolutely dream of a Châteauneuf du Pape to drink over the coming 25 years or more. Drink 2025-2050.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDMulled blueberries and dewy rose-petal notes perfume this silk-textured Grenache. It’s a rich, powerfully penetrating wine that fills the palate in pools of black-cherry and berry flavors, but maintains a thrilling mineral freshness and vitality. Framed by fine, silky tannins, it’s approachable already but should improve well through 2040 at least.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WERich, dense and compact, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is all Grenache, but it still needs some time to unfurl. For now, it offers up subdued hints of garrigue layered over a backdrop of ripe black cherries and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and intense, with a long finish, it should blossom with a few years in the cellar.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93+ RPPale ruby-colored, the 2019 Châteauneuf-du-Pape mingles aromas of glossy red and black cherry, strawberry, dried herbs and licorice. Similar to the 2020, the tannins are a bit coarse, adversely affecting the wine’s elegance.Vinous Media | 90 VMA fresh and vibrant black cherry and damson-scented nose. A concentrated and naturalistic expression of the terroir; pliable tannins, sappy berry fruit, with a natural upsurge of power and muscle on the palate. Natural class. 60-year-old vines owned by the Sabon family of Domaine de la Janasse.Decanter Magazine | 90 DEC

The lightly hued 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Blanc checks in as 70% Grenache Blanc, 28% Roussanne, and tiny percentages of Bourboulenc and Clairette, brought up in equal parts demi-muid and tank. It has a beautiful bouquet of ripe white peach and melon that shows a touch of spice and hazelnut with air, and it’s medium-bodied, beautifully pure, textured, and balanced on the palate. It’s a stunning white that will shine on the dinner table.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD