Josh Raynolds, Vinous
Glistening ruby-red. Ripe, smoke-tinged red/blue fruits, potpourri, incense and exotic spices on the deeply perfumed nose. Stains the palate with appealingly sweet boysenberry, blackberry and floral pastille flavors sharpened by vibrant mineral and white pepper flourishes. Shows the richness of the vintage but comes off lively and delivers strong floral thrust on the extremely long finish, which is framed by smooth, well-knit tannins. 95 Points
Floral, fresh and pure, the wine pops the moment it hits your glass. The complex nose, with its slight hint of espresso and smoke moves quickly to its floral side before hitting on its sweet red fruits. Round, juicy, spicy and fat, with a richness to all the peppery kirsch, give it a few years to fully integrate the wood and it will be an even better wine. The wine made from 100% old vine Grenache, and when I say old, all the vines are more than 100 years of age. This is one of the stars of the vintage.
The 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cornelia Constanza is all Grenache and comes from a sandy parcel in the heart of the La Crau lieu-dit. This Grenache lover’s dream sports a medium ruby color as well as a gorgeous nose of kirsch liqueur, herbes de Provence, licorice, loamy soil, and assorted spices. With medium to full-bodied richness, seamless texture, and a great finish. Drink this pleasure bent beauty anytime over the coming 10 to 15 years.
From century-old Grenache in a section of la Crau with safre-based soils, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cornelia Constanza was matured in concrete (60%) and foudre (40%). Explosive notes of black cherries and licorice mark the nose, while the full-bodied palate is ripe and welcoming without going over the top. You'll want to watch the serving temperature carefully so it doesn't get too warm, but the tannins are supple and silky. Dense and concentrated, this is serious stuff, with awesome length on the slightly chocolaty, spice-inflected finish. I wouldn't bet on it aging more than a decade, but as an early-drinking mouthful of decadence, it's tough to beat. Drink 2020 - 2030.
