My favorite of the 2023s here, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Guigasse offers up ripe black cherries, mulberries, Provençal garrigue, and spicy, peppery nuances. Based on 100% Grenache from the sandy soils of the La Guigasse lieu-dit and aged 24 months in 500-liter barrels, it's medium to full-bodied and has a broad, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. With roughly 400 cases produced, this beauty will drink well over the coming decade. Drink 2025-2035.

Some attractive herbal notes add interest to the red berry fruits, menthol and bay leaf. This has some big, crisp, fresh tannins and quite marked acidity, with a slight bitterness on the finish. It’s rather lacking in fruit to match the stems, but it will be good in time. Pure whole-bunch Grenache from the sandy soils of La Guigasse, all aged in demi-muids.

Quite distinct from the estate’s classic cuvée, the 2023 La Guigasse - Saint Théodoric is notably riper and more brooding than its 2022 counterpart. It opens with a rich bouquet of spices, dark chocolate, fresh thyme and dark berries. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and concentrated, it’s structured around a supple, gently oaky mid-palate and concludes with a long, spicy finish that shows a touch of warmth on the back end. Sourced entirely from old-vine Grenache Noir planted on sandy soils, it was vinified with whole bunches and matured for 24 months in large oak barrels. This is a more powerful, heady expression of La Guigasse, though it remains true to the domaine’s traditional sensibility.