2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin

Another wine that displays the vintage profile, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Chaupin reveals a translucent medium ruby color as well as pure Grenache notes of kirsch and strawberry fruits intermixed with lots of white pepper, Provençal garrigue, and toasted spice-like aromas and flavors. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it has a seamless texture, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. I’m inclined to recommend drinking this in its first decade of life, but I do love its balance and it has ripe tannins, so I expect it will actually evolve gracefully for a solid 15 years or more. It’s a pretty, elegant, classy wine that I would be thrilled to drink. 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.

As usual, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Chaupin displays more red fruit than the main bottling, being 100% Grenache from sandier soils. Raspberries and cherries appear on the nose alongside subtle hints of garrigue. The full-bodied palate is almost airy in feel, supported by a latticework of silky tannins and bright acids, while simultaneously adding bass notes of dark chocolate and licorice that linger on the finish. It's an impressive effort.