An opulent, modern-styled white, with sweet buttercream and roasted vanilla bean flavors layered over a core of juicy peach and orchard fruit. Gains good dimension on the palate from floral lift and dried herbs, with wet stone accents lining the weighty finish. Time in bottle will allow this wine's oak influence to better integrate. Clairette and Roussanne. Drink now through 2028. 300 cases made, 50 cases imported.??–KB??Region: France / Southern Rh?ne / Chateauneuf-du-Pape Select to Add

Tasted blind, at the end of a long session, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Miocene came across as beautifully perfumed but firm, taut and slightly ungenerous. At the estate, I found the same ravishing aromas of strawberries, raspberries and stone fruit, but more balance and flesh, with a silky finish. The score and drinking window represent a composite of both tastings.

The raspberry and garrigue-scented 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Miocene has turned out as well I hoped after last year's visit. Medium to full-bodied, it's tightened up a bit and shows more dusty tannin on the finish than I recall, but that should just serve to extend its drinking window through at at least 2030.

Another stellar vintage for this cuvée, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Le Miocene is a classic blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre from a mix of soil types, aged in older barrels and concrete tanks. It's ripe and plummy, with notes of black cherries and licorice, yet there's also a sense of freshness. Full-bodied and velvety in texture, it's already approachable but has the substance to age through 2030. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.