Santa Duc Chateauneuf du Pape les Saintes Vierges 2016 (1.5L)

96-98 WA / 96 WCI / 93 JD / 93 JS / 92-94 VM

Rich, full-bodied and creamy-textured while simultaneously appearing almost weightless, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges looks even better than last year. Cola, spice and stone fruit notes provide plenty of flavor interest, lingering on the long, lush finish. JC – The Wine Advocate

Light on its feet, the wine is elegant, refined, soft and fresh, The fruits have energy. The tannins are gentle, allowing you to focus on the purity in the red fruits in the finish. The wine was produced from blending 90% Grenache, 9% Mourvedre and 1% Counoise.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider, tasted 9/18

The 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Saintes Vierges offers more garrigue, lavender, and spice, and has fabulous complexity in its aromatics. Possessing lots of black cherry and raspberry fruits, medium to full body, and beautiful elegance, it’s already hard to resist yet will be even better with 2-3 years of bottle age and drink nicely for decade or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

A riper and rounder expression with almost essence-like plums and mulberries, swathed in languid, open-knit tannins. Dark, spiced-plum finish. I’d drink this on the fresher side of its life span. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

Brilliant violet. Mineral-accented cherry and raspberry preserve scents show excellent clarity and suggestions of garrigue and allspice. Silky and seamless on the palate, offering appealingly sweet raspberry, cherry compote and floral pastille flavors and a spicy kick of white pepper. The floral nuance carries through an impressively long finish framed by smooth, interwoven tannins. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media