Tasted at the property from magnum, the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale (Vigne Centenaires) is stunning, and stunningly youthful. It's still floral, with scents of roses and tea accenting raspberry and cassis. Full-bodied, silky and long, this has everything—lush fruit, ample spicy complexity and a dry, savory finish. It has to be up there with the best wines of the vintage.

One of the top Chateauneuf du Papes of the vintage is the 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale-Vigne Centenaires (from 100-year-old vines planted in pure sand). A blend of 90% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, and Muscardin (a real field blend), this wine is close to rivaling their great 2007. Its stunning blue/purple color (remarkable for Grenache grown in sand) is followed by a full-bodied wine revealing exquisite concentrated notes of incense, lavender, camphor, black cherries and black currant liqueur. Tell-tale licorice and pepper characteristics are also present in this voluptuously textured, fleshy, full-bodied effort that is already drinkable. One of the stars of the vintage, it is capable of lasting 15-20 years. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800