From the Charbonnières and Les Esqueirons lieux-dits and just about all Grenache harvested at the end of September, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes was raised all in an older foudre. A gorgeous wine that makes the most of the vintage, it has a perfumed bouquet of black cherries, peppery herbs, spring flowers, and Provençal spices. This carries to a medium to full-bodied Châteauneuf with a wonderful sense of purity, fine, elegant tannins, flawless balance, and a great finish. This classic, balanced, seamless beauty is up with the crème de la crème of the vintage.

The 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is showing beautifully, displaying lively crushed violet, cranberry, red cherry, licorice and dried herb aromas. Full-bodied, elegant and fitted with velvety tannins, it is well-balanced by fresh acidity, closing with a long-lasting finish. As usual, it's a blend of very old vines from two parcels in Charbonnières and Les Esquirons. Only 4,000 bottles produced.

Primarily from vines planted in 1900 in a sandy, north-facing portion of la Crau, Marcoux's 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes seamlessly marries dusty earth with scents of black cherries, licorice and garrigue. Only medium to full-bodied this year, it's silky and elegant, not overly tannic but wonderfully long and vibrant on the finish.