97 Joe Czerwinski - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Most of the vInes for the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale were planted in 1902, mainly Grenache, with a few other scattered plants of other varieties. Full-bodied and concentrated, it boasts massive flavors of raspberries and cherries, with just enough herbal intricacies woven into the fabric of the wine to impart a sense of lightness and freshness—it positively tingles on the long, long finish. Produced from biodynamically grown fruit at yields just half the maximum permitted by the appellation (16–18 hectoliters per hectare, versus 35), it's a tremendous effort. Despite the early hour of my appointment back in June 2019, this was one of my favorite visits of that trip, so it was a pleasure to taste through the lineup of bottled wines this summer. The 2018 Cuvée Imperiale is one of the top wines of the vintage, but perhaps the wine that captured my attention the most was the 2019 Le Peche Originel, a vin de France made from Cinsault. Buy some if you can find any.