2021 Chateauneuf du Pape

The stunning 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale comes from old vines in two sandy parcels—one in Pied Long and one in la Crau. Exotic aromas of orange zest, Campari-like spice and exquisitely ripe cherries appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is silky and creamy in texture yet airy and vibrant, with a long, zesty finish. It's a definite candidate for wine of the vintage, alongside its Mourvèdre-based stablemate, La Part des Anges.

The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Impériale Vignes Centenaires stands out from the crowd. It is made from older than 120 years vines and harvested at miniscule yields of 16 – 18 hL/Ha. Precise aromatics soar from the glass: crushed violets, red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, exotic spices, dried lavender and a deliciously ferrous twist which I’ve also discovered in their 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Made almost entirely from Grenache and aged in concrete vats, this energetic, full-bodied red is marked by a firm tannic structure as well as excellent purity, showing great persistence on the savory finish.

The base 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape is solid, with lots of spicy red and black fruits as well as Provençal herb and leather nuances. These all carry to a medium-bodied Châteauneuf offering ripe tannins, a round, layered mouthfeel, and a great finish. I found the 2020 reds from Raymond Usseglio to be a little lifted and difficult to read. These will hopefully come together with a year or two in bottle and justify the lofty barrel reviews. The same can’t be said about the white, however. These showed brilliantly, with the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Pure Roussanne unquestionably one of the top whites in the vintage.