One of my favorite wines in just about every vintage is the old vine cuvée from Janasse and the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes is another beautiful wine. Made from 85% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and the balance Syrah, aged in a mix of foudre and barrels, it offers terrific black fruits, crushed rocks, garrigue, and violet aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, with ripe tannin, it’s a joy to drink and will keep for another 10-15+ years.

Inky ruby. Explosive aromas of dark berry preserves, incense and lavender, with a smoky overtone and bright minerality. Pliant and seamless in the mouth, offering intense, palate-staining cassis and blueberry flavors that are energized by juicy acidity. Shows real power and focus on the strikingly long finish, which features velvety tannins and a hint of candied flowers. There's 15% alcohol here, which is actually quite low for this bottling, and I don't detect any undue heat.

Christophe Sabon has long produced different bottlings of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, all of high quality. The Vieilles Vignes comes from vines over 100 years old, mostly Grenache. Part of the wine is aged in 600-litre barrels. The nose is remarkably perfumed and lifted, with spicy red-fruits aromas and a light toastiness. The wine is predictably powerful, but it's also tight and elegant, with fine-grained tannins and a delightful freshness on the long finish. Despite the high alcohol, the wine shows fine balance and no burn on the finish.