Andrew Jefford: Saturated black-red. This is another of those aromas that reminds me of a kind of Provençal compost: humming, gloriously, with thyme and citrus, with roast meat and bay leaf, with broom and lavender. Spot on. Rich, sweet, and mouth-filling on the palate: a no-apologies Châteauneuf of sensational amplitude and flavor power, throbbing with good things. Note, though, that the tannins are quite smooth; all the concentration is bound up in the flavors themselves. Since one of the things I love about Châteauneuf at is best is textural richness and tannin drag, this isn’t quite the pick of the day for me, but if you want a brilliantly flavorful Châteauneuf without too heavy a textural charge, then this is your wine, and I could easily envision a higher score. 18

Simon Larkin : The aromas hint at a depth of dark, brooding fruit, with a sweet coating and fine ripeness. What impresses here is how well the obvious weight of the wine is carried. There is an alcoholic warmth on the finish, without doubt, but the palate shows good poise and complexity. Mulberry, loganberry, garrigue, woodsmoke: This is an impressive showing within the category—far greater elegance and a more evident red-fruit acidity that enlivens the palate. Heady but on the elegant side. 17

John Livingstone-Learmonth: Dark, shiny, full robe. The nose extols the ripeness and roundness of that ripe fruit: It has a low-key sweetness and effortless air of simmered black berries, with a little dustiness and sweet herbs also handy. This is large-scale Châteauneuf, dressed as a prestige wine, with its ample coating and sleek fruit. It gathers extra tightness as it ends, gives a spur of tar, dark raisin, tang as it finishes. More to sip than drink freely here. Venison with cherry fruits; Scandinavian dishes would suit this. Its intrinsic power has been well wrapped. From late 2015 to 2027/30. 17