Produce of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvèdre grapes hand‑harvested from vines averaging 60 years in age from vineyards near Châteauneuf‑du‑Pape in the southern Rhône Valley. Each cluster is carefully sorted and the grapes are entirely destemmed then chilled to 12°C to undergo a cold soaking, extracting as much fruit flavour and colour as possible. They are then put into stainless steel vats and undergo pigéage and a slow, temperature‑controlled fermentation for some 15 to 20 days, yielding more robust, round, persistent tannins and body. The wine is then aged in concrete vats for 12 to 15 months before bottling. Lovely translucent cherry skin red with aromas of pulverized stone, wild strawberry, cherry, rosemary, lavender and more; supple on entry, then expansive on the palate to a generous mouth‑filling medium‑full in body with fine dusty jittery ripe tannins keeping everything fresh and flavorful long on the finish.

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape has some rustic, old wood notes as well as solid darker cherry and assorted berry fruits, medium to full body, a beautifully seamless, elegant texture, and nicely balanced tannins. It cleans up nicely with time in the glass, and the elegance and balance here are superb. Rated 90. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2021

The 2019 Gigondas is straight-up terrific, offering ripe red and black fruits as well as notes of ground pepper, loamy earth, and new leather. Based off 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, and the rest Syrah, the Mourvèdre really shines, and this medium to full-bodied Gigondas has ripe tannins, a polished, elegant texture, and a great finish. This cuvée is vinified all in concrete and aged 18 months in foudre, and I see no reason it won’t evolve for 15+ years if stored properly. Drink 2022‑2038. Rated 93. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com January, 2022

Produce of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah fruit from vines an average age of 25 years and planted to sand, clay and silt soils. The Grenache is fermented in cement tank, the Syrah in 3- to 4-year old barrels. Importer Charles Neal notes aromas of black fruits and pepper, we noted ripe berry with suggestion of reglisse and just the faintest hint of garrigue; slippery smooth on entry, then building in volume and presence to a more robust and generous, stone-tinged berry, full-throttle flavorful and satisfying red wine with fine-grained jittery Grenache tannins carrying flavor long. Henry underscored the excellent push/pull tension between juicy ripe fruit and those ultra-fine tannins, noting this is a whole heckuva lot of wine for just the scrawniest amount of scratch.

The Domaine du Vieux Lazaret, dating from 1748, is one of the more venerable of properties in this the most venerable of all the wine appellations of France. The domaine covers around 100 hectares (that's about 250 acres) spread over the 3 typical terroirs where all 13 grape varieties allowed in the appellation are cultivated on varying soils of galets roulés, stony terraces with sand and gravel sub‑soils and clay soils formed from the limestone mother rock. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Quiot family purchased Le Vieux Lazaret, an hospice run by Lazarists who played a very important role at the time of the 1720 plague. The « Domaine du Vieux Lazaret » has been built up over three centuries by marriage, purchase and distribution, and has been known by this name since 1915. One-hundred-plus years on, their superb 2020 Châteauneuf‑du‑Pape rouge is alluringly deep crimson/ruby in color with aromas suggestive of earth and iron, a mélange of berries red and black and blue along with subtle hints of the garrigue and baking spices; full, generous and warming on the palate with structure of finely resolved stony tannins extending spicy berry flavor long and fresh on the finish.

Produce of predominantly Clairette and Grenache blanc together with Bourboulenc and Roussanne from vines planted to a combination of soil types including clay/limestone and sand; shimmering platinum to bright yellow/gold in color with aromas suggestive of fresh hops, reglisse, mirabelle plum and cool sliced tropical fruits (La Famille Quiot themselves note aromas of white flowers, peach and lemon); fresh and vibrant on the palate, just ample in body with a gently rich and wholly tactile presence on the tongue, all the while maintaining a freshness and poise on the palate with dusty/stony/nervy intensity and length of fresh flavor on the finish.

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is another winner from this team, and readers can’t go wrong here. Based on 75% Grenache, 10% each of Syrah and Mourvedre, with the balance Cinsault, it was partially destemmed and brought up all in foudre. This beauty just about jumps out of the glass with its Provençal aromatics of ripe cherries, ground pepper, saddle leather, garrigue, and spice. These carry to a medium to full-bodied wine that has the vintage’s charming, pure character front and center, yet still brings good mid-palate density and ripe tannins. Buy a case, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles any time over the coming 10-15 years. Drink 2022‑2037. Rated 95. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2022

I was blown away by the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Chaupin, a 100% Grenache release that comes almost exclusively from the Chaupin lieu‑dit in the northern part of the appellation. It's never as inky‑hued or powerful as the Vieilles Vignes but always screams Grenache with its sexy, ripe, seamless, and remarkably elegant style. The 2020 offers a translucent ruby/purple hue as well as incredible aromatics of blackberries, black raspberries, peppery garrigue, herbes de Provence, and flowers, and it opens up nicely with time in the glass. Full‑bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has silky tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. I finished my note with "a Grenache lover's dream." This is up with the finest vintages produced and will evolve for 15+ years. Drink 2022‑2038. Rated 99. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2022

Produce of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah fruit organically/biodynamically farmed and hand-harvested from vines an average of 25 years old and planted to the garrigues and Helvetian sand and sandstone soils in the Mediterranean climes of the southern Rhône Valley near Vacqueyras. Winemaking is traditional, the fruit is completely destemmed, there is a light crushing of the berries and fermentation on natural indigenous grape yeasts, the wine is aged in cement for one winter, then bottled. Vibrant and glowing translucent ruby to fuchsia at the edges in color with exotic almost perfumed aromas suggestive of wild strawberry conserve and grape pomace (it is, of course, biodynamically farmed grapes) with maybe just a hint of reduction (almost like roasted coffee beans; Henry noted the scent of garrigue after a bit of time in the glass); silken smooth onto the palate, then fresh and crisp, almost crunchy in texture (crunchy red berries), with pulverized stone-like, chalky dry jittery tannins building, carrying at once delicate and vibrant flavors long and fresh on the finish. An amusement for the tastebuds, indeed.

Showing even better than when I tasted it last year, the 2019 Hermitage La Chapelle is another ripe, powerful, sexy, and full-bodied example of this cuvée that brings classic La Chapelle gamey darker fruits as well as smoked meats, chocolate, sandalwood, and peppery spice. Full-bodied on the palate, it has good concentration, lots of ripeness, polished tannins, and a great, great finish. As with the 2018, it's opened up beautifully on the palate since I tasted it at the domaine and is a ripe, expansive, pure, beautiful Hermitage. Rated 97. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

The 2018 Hermitage La Chapelle is a monster of a wine that brings tons of richness and depth while staying light on its feet and balanced. Lots of ripe red and blue fruits as well as flowers, smoked meat, licorice, and spice define the bouquet, and it's full-bodied, has a ripe, powerful, yet balanced mouthfeel, and a great finish. Given some previous showings of this wine, it was surprisingly accessible on this occasion, with a wealth of fruit, sweet tannins, and tons of character. It's a brilliant wine as well as a magical Hermitage. Rated 98. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

Opaque ruby. Displays powerful, highly perfumed aromas of black/blue fruit preserves, licorice, cola, baking spices and potpourri, along with an exotic suggestion of incense. Utterly stains the palate with intense blackberry, cherry, cassis, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that deliver a suave blend of weight and energy. Youthfully solid tannins add shape and grip to an extremely long, mineral- and floral-accented finish that shows outstanding clarity and dark fruit thrust. Drink 2028‑2040. Rated 96.  Josh Raynolds, vinous.com March, 2020

The 2017 Hermitage La Chapelle showed incredibly well and is a brilliant wine that's reminiscent of a richer, denser 2011. Loads of sun-kissed dark fruits, leather, graphite, and flowers, with ample spice and sandalwood nuances, give way to a full-bodied, pure, deep, multi-dimensional Hermitage that’s just about as good as it gets. The balance, length, and depth of this is something to behold, and while it unquestionably offers pleasure today, it has another 20-30 years of prime drinking ahead of it. Drink 2022‑2052. Rated 99. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com June, 2022

Saturated violet color. Intensely perfumed ripe black/blue fruits, violet candy, exotic spices and smoky minerals show fine definition and lift. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering deeply concentrated yet lively black raspberry, boysenberry, floral pastille and spicecake flavors and a late touch of licorice. Finishes smooth, sappy and extremely long, with chewy tannins lending shape and grip to resonating dark berry and floral notes. Drink 2026‑2038. Rated 95.  Josh Raynolds, vinous.com March, 2020

Produced at Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe in Châteauneuf‑du‑Pape, this is, as they say, a 'gateway' to the more 'elevated' wines of the southern Rhône Valley. Only, in this case, the Ventoux appellation is actually higher still in elevation, and more elevation in this part of the winegrowing world tends to give more freshness and more of an easygoingness and, you'll notice, a little lighter touch in terms of price. Produce of about 55% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Carignan, 8% Cinsault and 7% Mourvèdre all hand-harvested from two vineyard sites, 3 hectares of Côtes‑du‑Rhône on the left bank of the Rhône river 15 km north of Avignon, and 7 hectares in the commune of Caromb, at the foot of Mont Ventoux in the appellation of Ventoux itself. The wine is fermented in temperature‑controlled cement tanks, then aged in a combination of the same and foudres (read, large neutral oak barrels). Lovely ruby in color with aromas suggestive of fleshy berries (fraises des bois, myrtille, framboise), spice, black pepper, with subtler hints of garrigue and crushed limestone; medium in body, both fresh and firm with a Châteauneuf‑du‑Pape‑like generosity and energy on the tongue and with fine‑grained pulverized stone‑like tannins giving structure, then mouthwatering and fresh long on the finish. Put this one in a nice bowl‑shaped Burgundy glass and pretend to yourself that you paid a lot more for it. And it'll get better still with air.

A year-in, year-out winner, the 2020 Côtes Du Rhône Coudoulet De Beaucastel offers outstanding quality as well as classic notes of darker fruits, roasted herbs, truffly earth, and some meaty, peppery, gamey nuances. With wonderful purity of fruit, ripe tannins, and a balanced, elegant mouthfeel, it will have over a decade of longevity. Rated (90‑92). - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2021

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Hauts-Lieux includes slightly more Mourvèdre and comes from a cooler parcel in the northern part of the appellation. It has another level of purity and precision compared to the Trois Sources and has extraordinary notes of blueberries, cassis, black licorice, violets, and crushed stone-like minerality. Incredibly concentrated, massive, and yet perfectly balanced, it has no hard edges and is just an incredible tasting experience. Hide bottles for 4-5 years and enjoy over the following 20-25 years. Drink 2025‑2051. Rated 98+. - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2021

Founded by Roger Marès in the 1960s, the Mas des Bressades is located in the Costières de Nîmes, in the southern Rhône Valley of France. It extends across 45 hectares to the north of the Camargue, where the vines are planted at an elevation of 70 meters on what the French call galets roulés or rolled pebbles (medium sized stones, really) rolled and rounded by glacial action and the great Rhône River. The name «Bressades» comes from the Provençal patois and, fittingly, means to rock. While the estate has long been cultivated with respect for nature and the soil, in 2017 Cyril Marès requested certification in organic farming. After three years of conversion, it is now official. Produce of an inspired south of France mingling of 50% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc, 10% Marsanne and 10% Viognier, their Costières de Nîmes Blanc is a vivid pale platinum/yellow in color with aromas suggestive of white pepper, fresh salt sea breezes, cool green/gold berries and crisp cool melon blanc d'Antibe (Henry noted a floral tone like chamomile, Glenn noted flesh of white peach); both ample and bright with its mineral edge on keen display, mouthwateringly fresh and vibrant on the tongue and just oh so deliciously refreshing and quaffable.

Rich, dense, almost opaque ruby in color with aromas that suggest sun and sea and berry and stone (Henry noted a peppery/savory quality as well); deep-pitched, pulverized stone and spicy fleshy berry on the tongue, potent, generous, (Henry noted that for all of this, the vibrancy of the wine was still apparent); and while we might tend to compare this to its Rhône Valley neighbor Châteauneuf-du-Pape (less than an hour's drive to the northeast), this remains more upfront, juicy and pliant if still stony/mineral, potent red wine.

Produce of 100% Cinsault fruit from the galets roulés strewn soils of the southern Rhône Valley vineyard aged in concrete for one year and produced without the addition of added sulfites. Dense purple/ruby in color with forward ripe fleshy berry aromas earth and wet stone; vibrant and alive on the palate, full-throttle, with lift and berryish acidity keeping things fresh and flavorful long to the finish.

There is a certain restraint on the nose here that finally gives way to something more discernably varietal, then more mineral and nutty (Andrea noted white grapes and hot rocks); there is a certain aloof highwire equilibrium on the palate, a minerality (Henry noted fleur de sel, a certain stoniness and subtle but intense palate feel); then everything echoing, resonating, reverberating long and fine on the finish.

Produce of a typical south of France mingling of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault from vines planted to alluvial terraces rich in pebbles, read les galets roulès, and clay/limestone soils. Attractive medium ruby in color with alluring perfumed juicy berry aromas suggesting strawberry, cherry, a summer afternoon's rain on hot cobblestones, genêt and more of the aromatic complexity of la garrigue; silken on entry, then building in body, demonstrating a firm, stony underpinning, potency and warmth, length of flavor and easy drinkability.

The 2019 Crozes-Hermitage Domaine De Thalabert showed well, with a floral, pepper, and sappy herb style as well as plenty of darker cherry and currant fruit. With medium to full body, a vibrant, elegant texture, present tannins, and good acidity, this is a classic, balanced Thalabert to hide for 2-4 years and enjoy over the following decade or more. Drink 2022‑2034. Rated (92-94). - Jeb Dunnuck, jebdunnuck.com November, 2020

Produce of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah planted to the slopes of the small valley of Trignon, with cool and breezy nights favorable to a slow even ripening of the fruit. The poor limestone gravel subsoil here also has the advantage of good drainage. Through a glass darkly, almost translucent medium deep ruby in color in our straight-sided tasting glass, full ripe fleshy fruit aromas suggesting myriad red and black berry fruits, black cherry, plum, lavender, pulverized limestone and even more with time in the glass; while this is no beast of a wine (it is smooth and slippery on entry) it surely is not a wine for the faint of heart, weighing in at 15% alcohol by volume, potent and full with ripe flavors on a backdrop of solid rock, with jittery fine-grained tannins underpinning and supporting their presence long and warm on the finish. We would recommend this with the air-conditioning turned down low, with slow-cooked meats, bean soups, soft ripened cheeses and the like.