An assemblage of 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvèdre, both aged in demi-muids, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Collection Charles Giraud features a hint of brown sugar on the nose, then waves of blueberries, black cherries and plums, plus some more savory suggestions of black olives. Full-bodied and showing tremendous richness and depth, it's sturdier and denser than the Auguste Favier, with a long, dark, earthy finish and plenty of tannin. Give it some serious time in the cellar. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

Opaque ruby. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes ripe red7blue fruits, exotic spices and potpourri, all enlivened by a smoky mineral nuance that builds as the wine opens up. Sweet, chewy and energetic in the mouth, offering concentrated black raspberry, boysenberry, violet pastille and fruitcake flavors that show excellent clarity and back-end lift. The mineral and floral notes build on an insanely long, penetrating finish shaped by emerging, polished tannins. This monumental wine was fermented in concrete tanks and raised in demi-muids.