2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme

Opaque ruby-red. Deep-pitched aromas of blackberry, cherry compote and candied flowers are lifted by a smoky mineral nuance. Gently sweet and broad on the palate, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors that slowly turn spicier and livelier with aeration. Shows hints of candied licorice and star anise on a very long, sweet finish that features building tannins and a suave floral quality.

The inky colored 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme is a serious winner in the vintage. A blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre and the rest Counoise, Vaccarèse and Muscardin, it offers a huge nose of blackberry jam, garrigue, crushed violets, and incense. Ripe, unctuous and opulent, yet not over the top, it reminds me of the Trois Source cuvée from Vieille Julienne. This is a smoking good release that will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and shine for over a decade. One of the leading consultants in the southern Rhône is Xavier Vignon and he releases a bevy of beautiful wines under his own label.

Xavier Vignon is one of the Rhône's leading winemaking consultants, and so it's no surprise he had access to some great fruit for his 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Anonyme. Tellingly, the blend entirely omits Syrah, containing 60% Grenache, 25% Mourvèdre, 8% Counoise, 4% Vaccarèse and 3% Muscardin. Floral notes and ripe cherries appear along licorice and vanilla (one-fourth of the wine was matured in new barriques), yet this is no drink-now version of CdP. This full-bodied wine boasts broad shoulders, a plush, creamy center and a muscular finish loaded with ripe tannins and spice. Give it a few years to mellow, and drink it over the next 15.