2016 Châteauneuf du Pape Val de Dieu Vaudieu

Parker-Czerwinski 94 Punkte: Full-bodied and plush, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Val de Dieu is a blend of 64% Grenache, 28% Syrah and 8% Mourvèdre. Brought up exclusively in demi-muids, it does show some toasty accents, but it delivers a lush mouthful of ripe raspberries and vanilla that glides to a lingering, slightly charred finish.

Galloni 96 Punkte: Brilliant magenta. Intense raspberry liqueur, cherry pit, incense, potpourri and spicecake aromas show sharp delineation and pick up a vibrant mineral quality with air. Sweet and energetic in the mouth, offering deeply concentrated but lithe black raspberry, cherry pie, five-spice powder and lavender pastille flavors that slowly fan out on the back half. Effortlessly marries richness to finesse and finishes wonderfully long and spicy, with harmonious tannins adding shape and gentle grip.

Wine Spectator 95 Punkte: A beauty, with boysenberry, loganberry and blueberry fruit streaming through. Creamy and lush in feel, yet driven and detailed due to seamless acidity and light anise, black tea and lavender notes. Reveals a light graphite hint at the very end. Best from 2020 through 2040. 100 cases imported. –JM

Jeb Dunnuck 95+ Punkte: A great vintage for this cuvée (and the region as a whole), the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Val de Dieu is 64% Grenache, 28% Syrah, and the balance Mourvèdre, all brought up in demi-muids. Fabulous notes of garrigue, new saddle leather, graphite, and assorted sweet red (and some black) fruits give way to a full-bodied, ripe, powerful wine that has remarkable elegance and purity. It's already approachable yet will unquestionably benefit from short-term cellaring and shine for a decade or more.