Turning to the darker side of the fruit spectrum, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes veers toward black cherries, cola and spice. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, but it takes a different tack than the more open and charming Les Hautes Brusquières bottling. It should drink well for close to two decades. They're the twins you might've fantasized about, one bright and bubbly, the other brooding and mysterious. And you can have both.

Full bright-rimmed ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red fruits, cherry liqueur, smoky minerals and incense. Energetic, impressively concentrated raspberry and kirsch flavors show excellent clarity and pick up a hint of smokiness with air. Velvety, harmonious tannins lend framework to an impressively long, mineral-accented finish that leaves behind a suggestion of candied lavender.

95% Grenache, 5% Mourvèdre. Cask sample. Darker fruit than their Mourre des Perdrix cuvée, with very savoury liquorice flavours on the finish, and bitter herby notes too. Heavyweight and impressive for its sheer volume, but the style demands a strong constitution! (RH)