2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes

The 2015 Châteauneuf Du Pape Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes boasts a deeper ruby/plum hue as well as a big, classic nose of black fruits, melted licorice, pepper, garrigue, and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, focused, structured, and powerful on the palate, it has ripe, integrated tannins and a brilliant finish. This remains a powerful, focused, at times firmer vintage that will drink well over the coming 15+ years. Drink 2025-2040. Run by Nicolas Boiron and his wife Jeanne-Claire, with their daughters Eva and Anna now taking a larger and larger role, Bosquet des Papes continues to produce a range of styles across their roughly 32 hectares. The classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape (75% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre) is old-school and traditional, while they also produce three special cuvées: Les 7 de Pignan (from seven parcels in the sandy soils of Pignan), A La Gloire de Mon Grand-Père (100% Grenache from clay soils in Gardiole), and Chante Le Merle Vieilles Vignes (85% Grenache from 100-year-old vines, not destemmed). These are rich, powerful, character-filled wines that have gained considerable elegance and purity over the past decade or more. They are incredibly Provençal, satisfying wines that deserve a place in any Southern Rhône lover's cellar.