2018 Chateauneuf du Pape F601

Named for the vineyard parcel from which it comes, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape F601 is entirely Cinsault, from vines planted in 1928. Aged in demi-muids, there are only 800 bottles of this new cuvée, so I suppose this review is largely academic. That said, when Cinsault performs like this, it's certainly worthy of note, as it's often used for rosé or (in Châteauneuf, an appellation where rosé isn't permitted) dismissed as a minor blending variety. This wine is anything but minor. Floral and spicy on the nose, supremely silky on the palate, nearly endless on the finish, it delivers the goods, cushioned by perfumed, herbal, cherry and raspberry fruit flavors. It's not quite as expansive or generous as the Grenache-based Colombis, but it might be more concentrated and longer on the finish. I've been deliberately conservative with my drinking window, as it's delicious now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it showing well in a decade's time (assuming there's any left).