Dominated by Grenache (90%), with the balance a mix of Mourvèdre and Syrah, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape La Blason du Prince blends fruit from several different soil types. It shows raspberry and cherry fruit on the nose, dramatic tension between acidity and ripeness on the full-bodied palate and some dusty tannins on the finish.

Four selections of 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape were presented, with the La Blason du Prince the softest, most approachable, and clearly the most commercial, but certainly exhibiting nice notes of roasted herbs, cherries, and earthiness. It is best drunk during its first 5-6 years of life. This huge cooperative/negociant located just adjacent to the Autoroute du Soleil, almost parallel to the estate of Beaucastel on the other side of the Autoroute, seems to have upgraded quality considerably in the last several years. Not that these are profound Provencal wines, but they certainly show much more character and quality than in the past. No known American importer.