Tardieu Laurent : Châteauneuf-du-Pape "Vieilles Vignes" 2018

Very ripe and lush in feel, with slowly rolling waves of warmed cassis, steeped plum and raspberry preserves, lined with red tea and anise notes and carried by very silky yet persistent structure. Fruit-driven, but with a fine minerality buried on the finish. Drink now through 2038. 500 cases made, 20 cases imported.

Saturated ruby. Red and dark berries, cola, baking spices and a hint of musky licorice on the deeply perfumed nose. Rich yet lively in character, offering sweet black raspberry and cherry compote flavors that become firmer on the back half. Closes very long and spicy, with rounded tannins adding gentle grip.

Compared with Tardieu-Laurent's translucent standard-label Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this old-vines bottling demonstrates marked intensity of rich black cherry and dried strawberry flavors. Sourced from 80% Grenache augmented by equal parts Syrah and Mourvèdre and matured in new and one-year-old barrels, it's a denser, deeper expression of the appellation with pleasant veins of cured meat, smoke and earth. Inviting already but should gain complexity well through 2035.

Boasting aromas and flavors of chocolate and mocha-covered raspberries and cherry-vanilla, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes comes across as slightly dessert-like and rich. It's full-bodied and velvety, with a plush texture and lingering finish. Give it another year or two and it should develop more savory nuances. The blend is 80% Grenache, with the balance evenly split between Mourvèdre and Syrah.