Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf du Pape 2020

Notes of mulled purple plum, blueberry, rhubarb and rose mingle with wild thyme on the nose. The palate boasts a deep core of blackberries, black cherries, a touch of blood orange, rhubarb and a deep crush of violets. Persistent youthful tannins are balanced by brisk acidity and beautifully frame its concentrated fruit profile. Allow for cellar aging well through 2040+.

The 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape is terrific, offering classic darker berry fruits as well as peppery garrigue and sappy flower notes. As with the Boisrenard release, this has plenty of tannins and structure, but it's beautifully balanced and has remarkable purity as well as a great finish. The classic cuvée is 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties, with the aging mostly in foudre and old barrels.

The pale ruby-colored 2020 Choteauneuf-du-Pape opens with rose water, raspberry, strawberry, dried herbs and licorice aromas. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and built around a smooth tannic structure with absolutely no hard edges, refreshing acidity balances this savory red that ends with a long-lasting finish.