2023 Cotes du Rhone

A beautiful red that will best many a Châteauneuf du Pape, the 2023 Côtes Du Rhône comes from vines around the estate planted in sandy soils with a touch of clay and is not destemmed and was brought up all in tank. Red and black fruits, spice, garrigue, and beautiful mineral nuances all show here, and it's medium-bodied, with a layered, graceful mouthfeel and ripe tannins. I'd be thrilled to drink bottles any time over the coming decade or more. Drink 2025-2035. Laurent Charvin is a sixth-generation farmer whose family has been at this site in the northern portion of Châteauneuf-du-Pape since 1851. Farming eight hectares in the lieux-dits of Maucoil, Cabrières, and L'Arnesque, Laurent was the first in his family to bottle wine rather than sell grapes to négociants, releasing his first vintage in 1990. His wines are consistently outstanding and age gracefully, with Laurent excelling in difficult vintages thanks to his relentless work in the vineyards, which are located mostly in sandy soils in the cooler, northwestern sector of the appellation. He remains a staunch traditionalist and produces a single Châteauneuf-du-Pape cuvée, roughly 85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, and 5% Vaccarèse, fermented with lots of stems and aged 21 months entirely in concrete tanks. There's not a barrel in the estate, and this is as pure and classic as it gets. The estate also produces a serious Côtes du Rhône from vines around the property in sandy soils with a touch of clay (roughly 85% Grenache, with the balance Syrah and Carignan, not destemmed and aged all in tank), as well as the Damon, a more forward, easygoing Côtes du Rhône to drink in its youth. These are textbook wines that show complexity, nuance, richness, and elegance.