Grand Veneur Les Origines Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2016

Wineadvocate

About as sexy as they come, 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape les Origines features dark, chocolaty notes layered over plums and black cherries. Deep, rich and intense yet sleek and plush, it's a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre and 20% Syrah aged in vats (for the Grenache) and barrels (for the other varieties). It should drink well for over a decade. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

Vinous

Deep ruby. Ripe red berries, incense, licorice and smoky minerals on the nose, joined by slowly emerging floral and vanilla nuances. Juicy and expansive on the palate, offering intense raspberry, cherry and spicecake flavors and a suggestion of candied lavender. Shows impressive energy for its heft and betrays no rough edges. Finishes sweet, broad and gently tannic, displaying impressive red-fruit-driven persistence.

Dunnuck

A brilliant wine and an unquestionable success in the vintage, the Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines is a blend of 50 % Grenache, 20 % Syrah, and 30 % Mourvèdre that’s aged for 18 months in new oak casks. Despite this elevage, the wine soaks up the oak and delivers a spectacularly pure array of crème de cassis, blackberry, spice, licorice, and toast. The purity and freshness are captivating, and the wine shows full body, beautiful focus, a classic, firm texture, and very silky, yet substantial tannin on the finish. Give bottles of solid 3-5 years and then drink over the following 15+ years.