2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Val de Dieu Château de Vaudieu

Based on 66% Grenache, 24% Syrah, and the rest Mourvèdre, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Val de Dieu was brought up in a mix of demi-muids and 24% new barrels. This medium purple/plum- colored 2018 gives up a rich, meaty bouquet of ripe red and black fruits, spiced meats, dried Provençal herbs, and licorice. This is a ripe, powerful, medium to full-bodied 2018 that does everything right, offering a stacked mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a fabulous finish. You can drink this beauty any time over the next 12-15 years.

Showing good color, the floral, smoke filled wine provides the perfect amount of ripe, fresh, spicy red fruits on the nose and palate. Round, plush and silky, this should drink well with just a year or two of age. The wine was made blending 60% Grenache and 25% Syrah with 15% Mourvedre. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/2020/10/2018-chateauneuf-du-pape-report-with-tasting-notes-harvest-info/?fbclid=IwAR3NjDhWE_jIJkpzvnXni6gCAOTtWz5N9vqjOLXPzs3Tpi8-XMxXvgFEbkw

Deep ruby. Pungent, smoke-tinged red and dark berry, licorice, candied lavender and baking spice scents and a hint of cola on the nose. Lush and expansive on the palate, offering sappy black raspberry, cherry cola, mocha and floral pastille flavors that show fine definition and spicy back-end thrust. There's real energy here, especially considering the wine's heft. Finishes very long and gently chewy, with resonating florality and smooth tannins that come in late.

The sample of the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Val de Dieu I tasted was a blend of 60% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 15% Mourvèdre, a bit less Grenache than typical. It starts strong, with scents of cherries and dried spices, and moves into a mid-palate that's full-bodied but silky-ripe in texture. It then finishes with warm notes of dark chocolate and a hint of brine. 2020-2028.