Matured in demi-muids, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier is 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault. Offering up a panoply of floral, spice and herb shadings, it backs those with scents of raspberries and black cherries and just subtle notes of toast and pencil shavings. Full-bodied on the palate, it's also silky in feel, with a long, mouthwatering finish and just a touch of friendly warmth. Tasted twice (once blind), with consistent notes.

Usually the most ethereal and perfumed of the cuvées at Saint-Préfert, the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier lives up to that billing yet again, with floral notes that suggest rose petals and violets, delicate hints of dried spices and Proven?al herbs and plenty of red-berried fruit. It's full-bodied but almost lacy in feel, with a fine, silky texture and a long, elegant finish with a surprisingly tannic edge.

Silkier than either the regular cuvée or the Charles Giraud, the 2017 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier delivers gentle spice notes of cinnamon, clove and allspice over ripe blackberries. Full-bodied, supple and long on the finish, it's a triumph of elegance in a vintage that leans more toward tannic force.

A blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier boasts enchanting floral aromas, intoxicating raspberry and cherry fruit and enthralling hints of Swiss cocoa. Full-bodied, rich and velvety, it nevertheless comes across as fresh and nearly weightless. The use of stems (the wine is all whole bunches) and an elevated proportion of Cinsault has certainly contributed to this wine's soaring aromas and sense of freshness. It's a fascinating wine.

The 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve Auguste Favier is a blend of 85% Grenache with 15% Cinsault. It pushes the ripeness up a notch from the traditional cuvée toward blackberry, plum and chocolate but remains lively. It, too, is full-bodied and supple, with a creamy texture and a long finish.