A wine readers should snatch up is the 2019 Cornas from Johan Michel, a majestic, full-bodied, incredibly seamless beauty that does everything right. It certainly shows the ripe, sunny style of the vintage and brings ample fruit, richness, and power, yet ...
Not destemmed and just pure, old school Cote Rotie, the 2019 Cote Rotie offers a monster bouquet of ground pepper, blackberries, smoked earth, graphite, and assorted darker, meaty red and black fruits. Gorgeous on the palate as well, it's medium to full-b...
Much more powerful and closed, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes comes more from the La Crau and La Janasse lieux-dits and is the usual blend of mostly Grenache with a touch of Syrah. Blackberries, graphite, scorched earth, pepper, and sappy ga...
Lastly, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieille Vignes is easily the most powerful in the lineup and has a rock star nose of ripe black cherries, melted licorice, spring flowers, and gravelly earth. It's rich, full-bodied, has ripe, integrated tannins, and a...
Looking at the two top cuvées, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin (100% Grenache fermented with 50% stems and brought up in foudre and demi-muids) is up-front and sexy, with classic wild strawberry and kirsch notes as well as Provençal herbs, lico...