The blockbuster 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes is a big, hulking wine, loaded with minty-stemmy notes and dark, plummy fruit. Allspice and salted licorice provide additional nuance, making it more than just a powerhouse, but it is a full-bodied, tannic wine that will need time in the cellar.

The perfumed, floral, cherry herbal tea-scented 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes isn't overly dark or dense, but captures the more fragrant, silky side of Grenache. It's full-bodied and ripe, with some faint, chocolaty overtones yet retains a sense of elegance and—dare I say it, in a wine that's labeled 15.5% alcohol—delicacy, finishing with silky tannins and ample length. It's a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Mourvèdre, aged in foudres.

Bottled three weeks before my visit, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes is nevertheless impressive. Black raspberries are accented by hints of blood orange, cocoa and anise on the nose. Full-bodied, rich and packed with material, it's long and velvety on the finish, picking up notes of salted licorice. It's a terrific, age-worthy effort that should still be drinking well in 2035.

The all whole-bunch 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Chante le Merle Vieilles Vignes is 85% Grenache, with the balance a mix of Mourvèdre and Syrah. The vines are all 80 to 90 years old, selected from parcels in Brusquières, Gardiole, Mont-Redon and Pignan. Glorious raspberry and cherry fruit picks up hints of mint and some stemmy notes, but they're remarkably well-integrated and should be completely absorbed within a couple of years. Full-bodied, rich and creamy in texture, this tour de force remains lively, silky and long on the finish. With 1,000 cases produced, it should be reasonably priced and reasonably available—an increasingly rare combination in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.