This is packed, featuring juicy and energetic raspberry, blackberry and dark plum pate de fruit flavors wrapped in licorice root, black tea, singed juniper and incense notes. Everything knits tightly through the finish, with the underlying freshness extending to a lengthy finish as the juniper note leaves a mouthwatering echo. Serious, old school style.

Almost all Grenache (there are splashes of Cinsault and Clairette), the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape A La Gloire De Mon Grand-Père was 50% destemmed and brought up in a mix of foudres and demi-muids. It has a riper, sexy bouquet of kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, toasted spices, dried flowers, and sweet Provençal garrigue to go with a full-bodied, beautifully textured, seamless style on the palate. It still has a classic feel, yet there’s certainly more fruit and opulence here compared to the more concentrated, masculine style of the Chante Le Merle cuvée. This beauty is going to drink nicely right out of the gate and cruise for 15-20 years as well. Built like an NFL linebacker, Nicolas Boiron is nevertheless a gentle giant and produced a bevy of brilliant wines in 2018 and 2019. While many estates stick to a single style (whether that be modern, traditional, etc.), the wines from Bosquet des Papes span the full spectrum. His classic cuvee and the old vine Chante Le Merle releases are classic, old-school Châteauneuf du Pape, his A La Gloire de Mon Grand-Père is more quasi-modern in style with partial destemming and aging in demi-muids, and his La Folie cuvee is full-on modern with destemming and plenty of new oak. Regardless of the style, the quality is brilliant, and these are beautiful wines. In addition, while I used to find a certain rusticity in the tannins in these wines, today, these wines show considerably more elegance and purity.