Looking at his Chateauneufs, the straight 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape has surprising purity and freshness. Made from 55% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 15% Syrah, with the Grenache aged all in foudre and the Mourvedre and Syrah in barrel, it exhibits impressive aromatics of blackberry fruit, earth, mineral and underbrush-like qualities on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, with a great texture and sweet tannin, it is superb now, yet should continue to drink nicely through 2021. Drink now-2021. Consulting at a number of top estates (Marcoux, Grand Veneur, Raymond Usseglio, etc.), Xavier Vignon (along with Philippe Cambie) is one of the leading oenologists in the Southern Rhone – and you only need to taste his own negociant wines to understand why. I was blown away by these current and new releases. Across the board they showed beautifully made profiles, with not only loads of fruit and texture, but superb balance and classic Southern Rhone characters. In fact, each of the wines showed what I think of as textbook characteristics of the terroirs from which they come. In addition, the prices remain remarkably low, and these wines are a treasure trove for the savvy buyer. Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644; Ingenium Wines, Huntsville, AL; tel. (256) 684-2543