The magnificent 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes continues the string of successes under this label. While a bit less expressive on the nose than the other cuvées, it's impossibly voluminous on the palate. Full-bodied and expansive in the mouth, it's also rich and velvety, with ample tannic structure to support its almost overwhelming generosity. A whirl of mixed raspberries and blackberries join with salted licorice and dark chocolate, culminating in a long finish that combines more-ish salinity with the dusty essence of crushed stone.

Dark violet. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, incense and exotic spices, and a floral accent builds as the wine opens up. Sweet and expansive in the mouth, offering lush black raspberry, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that are energized by a core of juicy acidity. Shows excellent clarity and solid, spicy thrust on a long, sweet finish framed by velvety tannins.

Showing nicely, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes shows the softer, elegant style of the vintage yet still has ample depth of fruit as well as a classic profile. Notes of red and black fruits, peppery herbs, nori, licorice, and scorched earth all give way to a full-bodied, beautifully balanced 2018. It’s already hard to resist, with silky tannins and no hard edges, and it stays weightless on the palate. It’s not going to be the longest-lived version of this cuvée, but it’s going to put a smile on your face any time over the coming 10-15 years. While the 2018s from this great estate are gorgeous wines that show the charming, elegant style of the vintage, the 2019s are a clear step up, and my money is on them being some of the wines of the vintage.

Dark and brooding aromatics, star anise and clove. This has a full-bodied, generous and muscular palate. The alcohol is high, but so is everything else – a hefty, structured wine, though not massive, still sunny at its core. It has what it needs to age - pretty classic Châteauneuf in that bold, muscular style. High alcohol though. Fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudre and demi-muid.

85% Grenache, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre, 5% others. Aged for 12 months in oak. Cask sample. Tasted blind. Chewy palate with savoury black fruit and a strong liquorice flavour on the finish. Bitter and savoury but in an appetising way, with enough dark fruit to match. Plenty of tannic substance in accompaniment. (RH)