Most of the vInes for the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale were planted in 1902, mainly Grenache, with a few other scattered plants of other varieties. Full-bodied and concentrated, it boasts massive flavors of raspberries and cherries, with just enough herbal intricacies woven into the fabric of the wine to impart a sense of lightness and freshness—it positively tingles on the long, long finish. Produced from biodynamically grown fruit at yields just half the maximum permitted by the appellation (16–18 hectoliters per hectare, versus 35), it's a tremendous effort.

The 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale (from vines planted in 1902) is firm and structured to age magnificently. Roses, black tea and red raspberries all appear on the nose and palate, framed by fine-grained tannins. I suspect it will close down shortly, but there is terrific material here, and the wine will drink well for two decades.

Almost entirely Grenache, from parcels planted in 1901 and 1902, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale is a stunner. Scents of roses, black tea and raspberries set the scene, while the palate is full-bodied but silky and nearly weightless, delivering an intricate, detailed interplay of red fruit, dried spices and orange zest. Despite what must be 15% alcohol or more, it shows absolutely no sign of heat.

The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale is a big, super ripe wine, loaded with plummy, chocolaty fruit. It's almost entirely Grenache from sandy sites, made and aged in concrete. At 16% alcohol by volume, it's full-bodied and the tannins are ripe, creamy and supple, but the alcoholic heat isn't particularly noticeable. Give the bit of green stemminess from some whole-cluster inclusion a year or two in bottle to merge with the rest of the wine and drink it young, before the fruit fades.