Much like the La Combe des Fous, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina seems denser and more concentrated and powerful than the more elegant 2018. Purple fruit and dark chocolate retain a remarkable degree of freshness in this full-bodied, velvety-textured and arguably over-exuberant puppy. There's tremendous material here, compressed into a potent ball of vinous energy that I expect will develop some more nuance and elegance over time.

Another terrific effort from this estate, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina shares a sense of elegance with its vintage stablemate, the La Combe des Fous. Kirsch, stone fruit, black cherries, licorice, pomegranate…the list could go on and on. And while the wine is undeniably full-bodied, it doesn't come across as heavy or hot, instead being built on a lacy, silky structure of fine tannins and rounded acids that linger on the finish.

With its more discreet oak and layers of complexity, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina is my favorite release here this year. Layers of dried spices accent raspberries and cherries in this full-bodied, rich and velvety wine. It's more complex and complete than either the Combe des Fous or the Sancto Santorum, longer on the finish and supremely elegant.

Bottled just four weeks prior to my visit, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina was showing no ill effects of the process. A blend of 60% Grenache with 40% Mourvèdre, it reveals intriguing notes of crushed stone, pencil shavings, black olives, tar and licorice on the nose. It's so massive and concentrated that it's almost painful to taste yet is seductive at the same time for its rich, velvety texture and incredible length. Somehow it manages all this but appears nimble and light at the same time, easily hiding what must be considerable alcohol.

A blend of 60% Grenache aged in concrete and 40% Mourvèdre aged in new barriques, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Deus Ex Machina is a modern-day monster. This is rich and powerfully concentrated, loaded with scents of vanilla and baking spices, yet it also possesses masses of red fruit (raspberries, cherries and plums), a wonderfully creamy and intense mid-palate and a long finish. It completely hides its no-doubt considerable alcohol.