Domaine de Cristia Domaine de Cristia Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes 2020 750ml

Taking things up a notch, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a much bigger, richer wine. It’s similarly colored, with a medium ruby/purple hue as well as a killer nose of kirsch liqueur, lavender, herbes de Provence, Asian spices, and a touch of cured meats. This full-bodied, opulent wine hits the palate with no hard edges, sweet tannins, and one hell of a great finish. It’s already hard to resist, has the vintage’s forward, upfront feel, yet will nevertheless have 10–15 years of longevity. (Jeb Dunnuck)

Concentrated but not weighty, this has an ethereal quality to its attractive licorice, cherry pie and fragrant incense notes, shored up with chalky tannins and a dusting of graphite that offsets the warmth. Beautifully textured, with bitter plum and mineral notes alternating with holiday spices and apple wood smoke stretching out across the finish. Drink now through 2040. 100 cases made, 35 cases imported. (Kristen Bieler)

Not yet bottled, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is all very old vine Grenache from the sandy soils of the Cristia lieu-dit. Brought up in demi-muids and a mix of new and used barrels, it gives up a rocking bouquet of blackberries, ripe cherries, licorice, toasted spices, and violets. It’s gorgeous on the palate as well and is medium to full-bodied, with a seamless, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s rock star stuff that I’d buy in a second.

Cherry and plum paste flavors are fresh in feel, with anise and violet and lavender details adding range. Nicely buried acidity gives the finish a subtle juicy edge, while the fruit plays out against a light sandalwood note. Drink now through 2035. 400 cases made, 75 cases imported. (James Molesworth)

Glistening ruby-red. Expansive, spice-tinged Chambord, cherry liqueur, incense and lavender aromas show sharp definition and pick up a lively mineral nuance with air. Sweet and seamless in texture, offering concentrated red fruit, five-spice powder and floral pastille flavors that are sharpened by a jolt of juicy acidity. Deftly blends richness and energy and finishes extremely long and smooth, with insistent florality and pliant tannins adding gentle grip. (Josh Raynolds)

The intense clove aroma is at the outer edge of typicity for this appellation. However, this Chateauneuf is simultaneously savory, dry and surprisingly elegant through the long balsamic and spicy finish. A pure grenache. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. (Stuart Pigott)

Entirely made from old vine Grenache, the 2020 Châteaureuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes turned out well. It delivers pungent aromas of raspberry jam, strawberry compote, red and black plum, dried herbs, licorice, cloves, wood smoke and vanilla. The oak-derived aromas and flavors are very much up-front and will require some time to integrate. It’s impossible to ignore the underlying high quality, however, confirmed by ever-so-velvety tannins and refreshing acidity. (Nicolas Greinacher)

I failed to discern a qualitative difference between the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (pure Grenache) and the 2018 Renaissance (which includes 40% Mourvèdre). This wine features bold cherry flavors, hints of cedar and vanilla from new oak and is full-bodied and velvety on the palate, with a long finish. No doubt further differences will emerge by next year, but for now, between these two wines, let’s call it a push.

Aged in a fair bit of new oak (roughly one-third new barrels, one-third demi-muids and one-third older barrels), the pure Grenache 2020 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes carries notes of vanilla and toasted coconut alongside hints of plum, cola and stone fruit. It’s full-bodied, framed by some slightly drying wood tannins and has a dusty finish.