Chateauneuf du Pape Charvin 2016 (750ML)

92-94+ Points, Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Based on a prospective blend tasted blind, Charvin's 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape looks promising. A blend of 82% Grenache, 5% each Mourvèdre and Syrah and 4% each Counoise and Vaccarèse, it offers lovely aromas of roses, tea leaves and raspberries that lead into a full-bodied wine. It's creamy on the mid-palate, then shows some stemmy notes and increased astringency on the long, minty finish. If it comes together after bottling the way the 2015 did, it should perform at or above the high end of my score range." 8/18 #238

94-96 Points, Josh Raynolds, Vinous: "Deep bright-rimmed red. An explosively perfumed bouquet evokes ripe fruits, incense and exotic spices, and a sexy floral pastille nuance builds in the glass. Sappy, broad and expansive on the palate, offering sweet raspberry preserve, boysenberry and spicecake flavors that are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. Closes on a gently tannic note, displaying superb clarity and spicy thrust and leaving sweet red fruit preserve and Asian spice notes behind." 7/18

95-96 Points, James Suckling: "A very tidy array of fresh strawberries, raspberries and poached, red plums. Sweet perfume and light, sappy, spicy complexity, too. The palate delivers an array of succulent, smooth tannins that offer fluid, suave, textural allure. Silky. Barrel sample." 8/18

95 Points, Matt Walls, Decanter: "No Cuvée Spéciale produced in 2016, just one wine, fermented and aged in concrete for 21 months. Orange peel and black olives on the nose lead into a powerful, juicy, concentrated palate with real thrust. There's real detail and power, and it's all very well balanced with super-fine tannins and a saline finish. Very long and intense. Certified organic."

95-97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com: "Not yet bottled, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Laurent Charvin is a beauty, and I'd wager one of the finest to date. In addition, it has a vibrant, mineral-laced personality that I'm sure is loved by Laurent. As classic as it gets, with a rocking bouquet of black, black fruits, garrigue, crushed rocks, and pepper, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, remarkable concentration, yet also the freshness and purity that's the hallmark of Laurent's wines. I followed this bottle for two days, and it shut down with extended aeration, so I'd recommend trying a bottle on release and then hiding the rest for a good 4-5 years. The blend is the classic 82% Grenache, 5% each of Mourvèdre and Syrah, and the balance Vaccarèse and Counoise, fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged all in concrete tanks. Don't miss this beauty." 8/18