While the cuvée Chaupin comes mostly from sandy soils, the 2013 Châteauneuf du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes comes more from the rolled pebble soils the region is famous for, and always shows the richer, more powerful profile imparted from these soils. Mostly foudre-aged Grenache, it incorporates 20% Mourvèdre and roughly 10% Syrah (slightly more Syrah in 2013) that’s raised all in barrel. Exhibiting a deep purple color, it offers fabulous dark berry fruits, licorice, Provençal herbs and earthy/stony minerality on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, ripe and with impressive sweetness to its tannin, it's a fabulous wine that will have 10-15 years of overall longevity.

Dark purple. Powerful aromas of dark fruit preserves, potpourri and candied flowers, with smoky Indian spice and mineral nuances in the background. Sweet and expansive but also sharply delineated, showing very good depth to its blackberry, mineral and floral pastille flavors. Distinctly rich but there's a surprisingly lithe character to this wine as well. Finishes very long and broad, with slow-building tannins and a lingering floral quality.

All three Châteauneuf cuvées from Christophe Sabon are exemplary, but the Vieilles Vignes is always exceptional. Almost half the vines from which this is produced are nearly a century old, grown on four parcels with different soils. The wine is partly aged in 600-litre barrels. This has a resplendent cherry and raspberry nose, showing power but no coarseness. Although very concentrated it still has finesse, and it's rich and supple despite the underlying tannins. The finish is brisk and fresh, peppery and lively, with excellent length.

Aromatic and succulent with cocoa, red cherry, allspice and really pliable, digestible tannins. This is the sweet spot of Châteauneuf for me – just enough power without bombardment. (RH)