The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve de Comtesse is a 60-40 blend of Grenache and Syrah, with half of the Syrah aged in new barrels. A significant uptick from this small estate's regular cuvée, it's floral and herbal on the nose, with those grace notes accenting black cherries and blackberries. It's full-bodied, creamy and lush in the mouth, then finishes tannic and long.

The pinched, narrowly constructed and meagerly endowed 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve de Comtesse, which is presumably their top selection, lacks concentration and intensity and finishes very narrowly. Neither of these vintages stands out, which has been typical in my tastings of this producer’s Chateauneuf du Papes over the years. Importer: BNP Distributing, New York, NY; tel: (212) 369-5627;Chloe Wine, Seattle, WA , www.chloewine.com