Marcoux's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is full-bodied, dense and tannic. Hints of crushed stone and dried garrigue appear on the nose, alongside blackberries and black cherries. It's basically pure foudre-aged Grenache from two lieux-dits—Charbonnières and les Esquierons—although the old vines undoubtedly include the odd interplanted variety. This terrific wine finishes long and silky, with layers of unfolding fruit and spice, including a dash of salted licorice. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

From vines planted in 1900, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes leads with aromas of cola, raspberries and dried spices. There's none of the chocolaty excess seen in the regular cuvée, but this full-bodied wine reflects the heat of the year in its slightly coarser than usual tannins. It's full-bodied without being heavy or overdone, just chewier than normal, and likely to age a bit quickly.

All Grenache, mostly from sandy soils and aged only in concrete, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a compelling wine. It offers the essence of ripe Grenache in its notes of ripe plums, purple raspberries and stone fruit, then layers on savory-spicy-meaty complexity. Full-bodied, rich, velvety and slightly warm on the finish (it reached at least 16% alcohol), it should provide thrilling drinking over the next decade.

The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes (about 97% Grenache) was entirely destemmed. According to Sophie Armenier, its alcohol level is a whopping 16+%, but it was completely concealed by the wine's intricate spice complexities. Licorice, cola, cinnamon, clove and allspice all interweave with cherries to form a silky web that glides across the palate and into a long, long finish.

There are roughly 2,800 bottles of the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes to go around. Always a blend of 100% Grenache from three terroirs -- Charbonnière, Esquierons and Galimardes -- it is completely destemmed and aged all in stainless steel (there wasn't enough to fill a larger barrel). The wine possesses a perfumed, complex profile of black raspberry and blackberry-like fruit, spring flowers, licorice and damp herbs. This is followed by a full-bodied, voluptuously textured wine that has layers of sweet fruit, fine tannin and terrific length. It lacks the sheer depth and richness that’s found in top vintages of this cuvée (2006, 2007, 2010, among others), but should still have 10-15 years of longevity, and deliver loads of pleasure for all of it.