Just 50% Grenache, with 15% Syrah, 12% Mourvèdre, 8% Cinsault and smaller proportions of other permitted varieties, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Privilege spent a year in 30% new barriques (the rest was in older barriques). The nose boasts scents of leather, baking spices and cola, while the palate is full-bodied and velvety yet doesn't seem that rich or concentrated, and the finish adds hints of mocha and tart berries. Drink it over the next decade.

Showing hints of vanilla and baking spices on the nose, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Privilege marries those with notes of red plums and black olives. Aged in 30% new oak, it's full-bodied and supple, with a creamy texture and a velvety finish. It's easy to drink now, but should drink well for at least 5–7 years.

Marginally more intense than the regular cuvée, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Privilege is very similar in style, with ripe cherries and stone fruit leading the way. There's a hint of roasted or grilled fruit for a touch of added complexity, but this is also a full-bodied, supple wine for drinking relatively young—in its first decade or so.

My favorite of this estate's three red cuvées was the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Privilege, a barrel-aged blend (30% new) that includes 5% or so white grapes and a wide swathe of red varieties. The cedar and vanilla notes are pronounced but not overwhelming, serving to highlight gorgeous cherry fruit. It's full-bodied, plush and unabashedly modern but also luminous and silky, with a long, long finish.

I couldn't discern much difference between the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Privilege and the Esprit de Maucoil. The Privilege is a floral yet full-bodied wine that never seems overly rich or heavy, but instead, it steadily unfurls layers of red fruits and spice on its long, silky finish. It should drink well for another decade or more.