2015 Domaine de la Vieille Julienne, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Reserve

This has some lovely spice and woody, smoky notes on the nose, and spiced raspberry on the palate. It’s full, rounded, generous, silky and fine. Such strong acidity, all is well balanced. The alcohol feels more present than in a typical vintage, but the tannins are so delicate, so fine and detailed. A great upswell of fruit and juice lead to a saline, mineral finish. Selection from Les Trois Sources, their oldest Grenache. Only produced when the Grenache is good enough.

Lastly, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve it unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage. Offering incredible spice, violets, roasted meats, black licorice, cassis and incense, this full-bodied beauty is as ethereal and elegant as they come, yet packs huge amounts of intensity, depth, and length in its perfectly balanced personality. Possessing ultra-fine tannin, a layered mid-palate and a great finish, it’s surprisingly already accessible but will cruise for two decades given its balance and purity. I can’t think of another vintage from Jean-Paul that shows this style of elegance and finesse. I’ve said it many times, but I’ll say it again, there are few wines I’d rather have in my cellar, or on the table, than a Châteauneuf du Pape from Jean-Paul Daumen. The 2015s are beautiful wines and shine for their elegance and purity. They don’t have the sheer wealth of material found in vintages such as 2001, 2005, 2010, or 2016, yet has incredible elegance and purity, as well as balance. Jean-Paul commented that he’s never seen a vintage like 2016 and his wines are opulent and hedonistic, yet as with all the wines from this estate, has purity, elegance, and structure. They’re some of the greatest wines in the vintage.

Lurid ruby-red. A highly perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe dark berries, cherry pit, licorice, garrigue and smoky Indian spices. Shows superb concentration as well as energy, offering vivacious black raspberry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a suave floral pastille undertone. Becomes sweeter with air and finishes on a youthfully tannic note, delivering impressive focus, a touch of dark chocolate and emphatic dark fruit thrust.

Meaty, rich, full, earthy. Packs a punch, but has proper substance and persistence too. Growls out of the glass, but purrs down the throat. Suitably hedonistic! (RH)