Chateauneuf du Pape Deus-Ex Machina Clos St Jean 2023 (750ML)

At Clos St Jean, the Deus Ex Machina is assembled from two components raised apart: Grenache aged entirely in concrete and Mourvèdre aged in barrel, blended 60% to 40%. The Maurel brothers run the estate, which has kept its form since the death of longtime consultant Philippe Cambie in 2021, and this is one of the three special cuvées among its five reds. The 2023 is full-bodied and deep, red and black fruits joined by violet and a graphite edge, with notable weight through the middle of the palate and a long, finely balanced finish. It is approachable now but should gain from four or five years in the cellar, and critics see it holding through 2045. Serve with beef daube, grilled ribeye, lamb shoulder with olives or a hard sheep’s-milk cheese.