Turning to the darker side of the fruit spectrum, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Vieilles Vignes veers toward black cherries, cola and spice. It's full-bodied, rich and velvety, but it takes a different tack than the more open and charming Les Hautes Brusquières bottling. It should drink well for close to two decades. They're the twins you might've fantasized about, one bright and bubbly, the other brooding and mysterious. And you can have both.
98 points, Joe Czerwinski, Wine Advocate (Issue # 238 - Aug 2018)
A cuvée I often find to rustic and firm, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes is a tour de force that offers full-bodied opulence and richness, with lots of tannins, yet more finesse, elegance, and purity than any vintage I can recall. Giving up notions of black raspberries, lavender, and incense, it’s going to evolve gracefully for two to three decades.
95-97 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Oct 2017)