Rhone Valley

92 Points! A silky, fruit-driven style, with a beam of raspberry and kirsch flavors, framed by subtle iron, sandalwood and shiso leaf hints on the edges. Stylish without sacrificing length or cut. - Wine Spectator

91 Points! The most accessible of the three is the 2013 Chateauneuf du Pape Mourre des Perdrix (64% Grenache, 18% Syrah and 18% Mourvèdre), which offers fresh, elegant notes of raspberries, black cherries, lots of sappy herbs and peppery spice in a medium-bodied, elegant and seamless style. - Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com

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95 Points! An attractive, layered, velvety and poised Chateauneuf-du-Pape with aromas of cherries, strawberries, dried herbs, tar and baking spices. It's full-bodied with fine tannins. Succulent and well composed. There’s elegance here, yet it has character and structure. It's in control, seductive and flavorful with a long finish. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Deeper ruby-hued and semi-opaque, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape reveals ultra-classic aromatics of ripe black cherries, peppered meats, garrigue, lavender, and sandalwood nuances. Based on 75% Grenache, 10% each Syrah and Mourvèdre, and 5% Cinsault, it was partially destemmed, vinified in concrete tanks, and aged 12 months in large foudre. It's medium-bodied and has a pure, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This plays in the more charming, forward style of the vintage yet has everything in the right place, with flawless balance, and it’s just loaded with charm and character. - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! I continue to love this wine from Ferraton. Their 2019 Hermitage Les Miaux reveals a medium gold hue as well as a classic bouquet of caramelized citrus, quince, white flowers, marzipan, and white flowers. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, this is a rock star bottle of wine that's going to drink brilliant for upwards of a decade, and I suspect an extended aged example will also show brilliantly. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! Based on 75% Grenache and the rest a mix of varieties, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape was vinified with 40% stems and brought up in foudre and cuve as well as a small percentage in demi-muids. Ripe, round, and sexy on the palate, with medium body, it offers ripe kirsch and black cherries intermixed with spice and peppery garrigue nuances. It's balanced with soft tannins and shows the forward style of the vintage. It will drink beautifully over the coming 10-12 years.  - Jeb Dunnuck

 

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The 2022 opens in the glass with ripe raspberry, black cherry, cassis and cedar. Scheduled to age in large foudres for two years, ripe tannins offer the wine a good structure and framework. Finishing on a savory note, the 2022 looks quite promising at this early stage. - Nicolas Greinacher, Vinous

The classic red of the domaine accounts for approximately 85% of the annual production of the estate.  It is composed of 65% Grenache Noir, 15% Syrah, 15% Mourvèdre and a balance of other traditional varieties. The grapes are not destemmed, the cuvaison lasts for three weeks and the élevage encompasses an additional 18 months in traditional foudre wood vats before the wine is bottled unfiltered. The fruit is perfectly in balance with the textural elements, showing typical dark fruit notes with discernible energy and liveliness. Its slighty sauvage character and firm structural backbone is leavened by its exceptional breed.

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95 Points! Power, structure and freshness are united in this stunning, modern Chateauneuf-du-Pape that has stacks of Mediterranean herb and raw meat character. Excellent concentration and energy. The elegantly dry finish is very long and precisely contoured. Sustainable. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! I love the wines from this estate, which always shine for their incredible perfume and complexity. Exotic red and black fruits, lavender, basil, peppery garrigue, and sandalwood notes define the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape, which is based on 58% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and 18% Mourvèdre that was brought up mostly in larger foudre but with a small part in used barrels. With medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant mouthfeel, present tannins, and outstanding length, this beauty is well worth your time and money. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! A very bright and fresh style with white-peach and apple-blossom aromas that leap out of the glass at you. Lovely lemony freshness makes this feel medium-bodied. Some saltiness in the vivid finish. A cuvee based on grenache blanc with roussanne and a touch of viognier. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com 

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92 Points! Châteauneuf du Pape-like notes of red and black fruits, melted licorice, and peppery garrigue all emerge from the 2022 Côtes du Rhône Les Champauvins, a rich, medium to full-bodied 2022 offering beautiful richness and depth. Based on 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvèdre that has the Grenache raised in concrete and the Syrah and Mourvèdre in oak, it's going to blow you away any time over the coming 7-8 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

Look at this wine’s neighbors:
• Chateau Beaucastel itself. $120 Chateaneuf is grown literally a healthy stone’s throw away.
• Grand Veneur’s very own $80 Chateaneuf du Pape Origines. 95-point Chateaneuf literally a meter away. Learn More

90-92 Points! Blackberries, spicy garrigue, herbes de Provence, and some peppery nuances all emerge from the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Sinards, a medium-bodied, supple, elegant red with tons of character. - Jeb Dunnuck

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93 Points! A solid, focused, juicy and poised wine, showing red berries, sweet spices and dried-flower aromas. Medium-bodied with finely grained tannins. Lovely crushed-strawberry character to the silky texture. Bright and fruit-forward, this has a seductive, succulent finish and a lift of peppercorns. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Bottled three months ago and showing beautifully, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel is based on 30% each of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre with 10% Cinsault and brought up all in foudre. It offers darker berries, pepper, sappy flowers, and some obvious stony, earth-like minerality in a medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, layered style. It's balanced with terrific purity, ripe tannins, and outstanding length, offering incredible pleasure today, yet it will keep for 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

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93-95 Points! The 2020 Gigondas Clos Des Tourelles should be a step up. Medium to full-bodied, pure, and remarkably well-balanced, it has a terrific mix of red and almost blue fruits as well as peppery herbs and flowers. Already complex and nuanced, yet concentrated and rich, it’s a serious effort from the Perrin family that’s going to have 15+ years of overall longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck

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90-92 Points! Lots of black and blue fruits, burning embers, and candied flower notes all emerge from the 2020 Crozes-Hermitage. Medium to full-bodied, it has a pretty, elegant, seamless texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. - Jeb Dunnuck

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92 Points! A balanced, lively and precise white with aromas of fresh lemons, linden and exotic spices such as turmeric. It’s medium-bodied, with a bright core of aromatic herbs and spices bringing vitality on the palate. Vivid and focused, with a well-driven, persistent finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The 2023 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel Blanc is terrific, with a soft, supple, forward style in its pure white peach, quince, and honeyed flower aromas and flavors. It's medium-bodied and has the vintage's purity as well as outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! I think the finest vintage for the classic cuvee ever, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape is a sensational blend of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah and the balance other permitted varieties. Aged mostly in tank, it offers a massive array of smoked herbs, lavender, black raspberries, toasted nuts, truffle and garrigue. Full-bodied, ripe, decadent and concentrated, it has slightly less structure than the '09, but has more raw material. This flat-out awesome Chateauneuf will have 20 years of longevity. - Jeb Dunnuck, robertparker.com, 2015

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95 Points! The 2017 Chimère reminds me a little of the 2011 with its more elegant yet still powerful style. Beautiful notes of black cherries, blueberries, cured meats, pepper, tree bark, and new leather all emerge from the glass, followed by a rich, medium to full-bodied, tight, backward and unevolved Mourvèdre that needs forgotten for 4-5 years. As always, this cuvée is primarily Mourvèdre (it’s normally blended with Grenache and other varieties, even some white varieties) and there are a scant 100 cases made. - Jeb Dunnuck

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91 Points! Lots of red and black berries, pepper, graphite, and spicy garrigue emerge from the 2023 Vacqueyras Tradition, a blend of 47% Grenache, 37% Syrah, and 16% Mourvèdre that was aged 35% in concrete eggs and 65% in barrels. It's medium-bodied and has a concentrated, focused, nicely structured mouthfeel with notable purity and outstanding length. This will keep for a solid 8-10 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! Black cherries, blue fruits, bloody meats, and roasted herbs all emerge from the 2022 Cornas Empreintes, a rich, meaty, mouth-filling Cornas that brings beautiful fruit, a stacked mid-palate, and velvety tannins. It's slightly broader and more textured compared to the more inward, structured Confidence release and will need just a few years of bottle age. Drink 2027-2042. - Jeb Dunnuck

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91 Points! Juicy and forward, the 2023 Crozes-Hermitage Les Pierrelles boasts bright red and blue fruits intermixed with peppery herbs, violets, and leather. It doesn't have the complexity of the Louis Belle or Roche Pierre, but I love its texture, balance, and straight-up charm. It was aged 14 months in neutral oak barrels. Drink this medium-bodied, round, textured Crozes over the coming decade.  - Jeb Dunnuck

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95 Points! Mostly Clairette (there’s 20% Grenache Blanc), the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Bernardine Blanc has a gorgeous array of ripe pears, honeyed tangerines, white flowers, and a wonderful sense of stony minerality. This all carries to a medium to full-bodied, richly textured, and flawlessly balanced white with integrated acidity and outstanding length. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! Full, expressive nose of candied citrus, dried pear and vanilla that pulls you into this very structured, full-bodied white Chateauneuf, which has energetic acidity for this hot and dry vintage. The positive, fine tannins really help to drive this cuvee with clairette from the extreme east of the appellation and grenache blanc from the extreme west. This was vinified in a mix of demi-muid and foudre oak casks. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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