Full, lush and powerful, with a wall of intense tannin – this is an enormously powerful wine that will take many years to approach a state of drinkability. Huge concentration and huge intensity, in many ways this fits the Châteauneuf archetype of statuesque wines for very long ageing. Be prepared for a long wait, followed by rich rewards. Partly destemmed, fermented in concrete, matured for 12 months in foudres and demi-muids.

Due to the devastating storm on the La Crau plateau just before harvest, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes comes from the La Janasse, Terra Blanche (pebbly portion), and Barnouine lieux-dits and doesn't include the parcel from La Crau that normally makes up the backbone of this cuvée. As such, it's a much more supple, elegant expression of this cuvée, offering ripe red and black fruits, crushed stone, flowers, and Provençal garrigue. With medium to full-bodied richness, it's beautifully balanced, has fine yet certainly building tannins, and outstanding length. Regardless of the modified blend, this is still a gorgeous wine, and given the unique nature of it, it’s little bit of a unicorn. It will have 15 years of prime drinking.

This powerhouse unleashes rich waves of black licorice, cherry paste and spiced plum. Shows impressive texture and energy, with black tea tannins bringing good form to the simmering, opulent palate. Grilled cedar, anise and smoke notes round out the concentrated finish; a hedonist's red for sure, this nonetheless shows real integrity and balance. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2026 through 2040. - KB

Quite an opulent expression of Chateauneuf, with a nose of preserved cherries, spices and bitter chocolate. Powerful and highly structured on the full-bodied palate. The long, bold finish is packed with bitter chocolate, caramel and an array of spices. Excellent aging potential, but already delicious. A cuvee with a majority of grenache plus some syrah and mourvedre. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

The 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, a blend of 85% Grenache Noir, 5% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre and 5% of unknown authorized varieties, offers up aromas of flowers, dark cherries, garrigue and licorice. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and structured, it has a fleshy core of fruit with a long, fruity finish; however, it also has a strict, firm aftertaste, and there is some concern that the structured, assertive tannins may not fully integrate, even with extended aging.

(93+ points) The 2022 Choteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is as concentrated and dense as one would expect from this full-throttle cuvee, but this is one instance where I prefer the 2021 vintage over the 2022. Pronounced licorice, red and black cherry, ripe strawberry and garrigue notes are all pushed forward here. The massive tannic core provides ample structure but demands at least until 2030 to integrate into the wine. Although impressively powerful and deeply layered, the 2022 doesn't strike me as a superstar, at least not on this occasion. - By Nicolas Greinacher on June 2024