Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15.5%;  $138   [ cork,  50mm;  Daniel and Frederic Coulon own 32 hectares in Chateauneuf-du-Pape,  and another 25 in Rasteau,  all farmed organically and biodynamically.  Boisrenard is the top cuvée at Beaurenard,  and is included to illustrate a (in one sense) ‘modern’ wine,  though the Coulons emphasise tradition in discussing it.  The youngest vines in this wine 65 years old,  some Gr 122 years,  all hand-harvested at c.2.4 t / ha = 1 t/ac ... a cropping rate rarely matched in New Zealand.  All (now) 18 permitted varieties are used in Boisrenard … most in token quantities.  The bunches are de-stemmed,  but the berries scarcely crushed.  Cuvaison is all wild-yeasts,  can be up to 35 days,  in oak vats.  Elevation usually 18 – 21 months in foudres and some barriques,  20% new,  but according to AC@JR,  only 12 months in foudre for the 2019;  not fined or filtered;  production this label up to 1,650 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L comments on Beaurenard in general:  Very good domaine, highly reliable, with admirable quality over the decades ... There is sleek fruit, very consistent quality ... The special red Boisrenard is overtly oaked, so allow plenty of time;  for the 2019 specifically,  J.L-L allows his highest praise,  6 stars,  rarer even than 100 points chez Parker,  saying:  ‘a fabulous regal wine’:  J.L-L,  2020:  cask sample;  immensely dark robe, almost all black. The bouquet is a sturdy, oaked do, with a firm black Morello cherry fruit aroma at its centre, notes of black olives; it mixes, for now, the cellar and the land. The palate draws on regal reserves of sève [sap] from the old vines, their effortless, uber suave richness, with prime, ripe tannins putting a layer of velvet into the finish. The texture is silken, and the depth comes from within, thanks to the old vines. There is fantastic, gliding richness on the second half, the length exceptional. This is a treat, a wine to leave until 2026, say, which will allow the oak to infuse further - if you open it earlier, you are committing a crime, since there will be too much oak. Its elements from the vineyard are top notch. ... 2050-52, ******;   JC@RP,  2022:  The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Boisrenard is 80% Grenache, with the balance a mix of the other permitted varieties. Fermentation took place in wood (including a small proportion of new barrels), with maturation in foudres. Scents of mint and garrigue accent black cherries and plum on the nose, and I thought I detected a hint of charred oak as well (tasted blind). Full-bodied, rich and velvety, this is a thickly textured, concentrated beauty, with a long, mocha-tinged finish. While it could use a year or two to soften, it should drink well for more than a decade. 93+;  weight bottle and closure 623 g;  www.beaurenard.fr ]
Ruby,  carmine and velvet,  the deepest wine,  a wonderful colour.  Like most of the wines,  initially poured the bouquet is reticent.  It gradually opens up to darkest cassis and black cherry invigorated by lightly-aromatic garrigue notes,  and fine cedary new oak suggestions.  The berry-rich palate is totally saturated with very fine furry tannins,  the flavour incredibly long,  rich and satisfying,  yet unlike so many deeper wines of this colour these days,  bone dry to the finish.  This is benchmark modern Chateauneuf-du-Pape in a serious cellaring style,  accurately characterised by Livingstone-Learmonth.  Boisrenard was the second-favourite wine in the tasting,  eight tasters rating it their top wine,  and three their second-favourite.  The ideal advice would be to buy a case ... and leave it sealed for 20 years.  On return you will find treasure.  Cellar 20 – 40 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15%;  $185   [ cork,  50mm;  for reds,  one of the few domaines making just the one (red) grand vin,  plus a wonderfully concentrated generic table red,  Le Petit Vin d'Avril;  proprietor Vincent Avril much influenced by the wines of Burgundy;  described by J.L-L as a ‘Gold standard estate’,  with extraordinarily low cropping rates by New Zealand standards,  sometimes as low as 20 hl/ha = 2.6 t/ha = 1.05 t/ac,  and in 2021 16 hl/ha = 2.1 t/ha = 0.85 t/ac – nearly 40% of the crop lost to frost;  the vintage style much respected in each year;  cepage averages Gr 45 – 65%,  Mv 20 – 40,  Sy 10 – 15,  and the other 15 mostly in token quantities,  5;  all destemmed,  21 days cuvaison;  elevation c.12 months in large foudres,  no new oak;  not fined or filtered;  annual production varies greatly with the year,  at most 7,500 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L,  2023:  from bottle:  full red robe; the nose offers airs of mixed red berries, plums with neat definition, a hint of raspberry, along with smoke, cloves, licorice. The palate is bright, peppered, has discreet spine to guide it, collects dusty tannins and herbal tones towards the finish, can expand out, which will help the second half. Its length is restricted for now, as is its late expression. ... is a little under wraps for now, but is very clear, so has a good future. There is lower Syrah because of frost … . Bottled April 2023. From 2026 or so. 2045-47, ****;  Vincent Avril,  2022:  It’s very drinkable, excites your appetite, is very Mourvèdre;  JC@RP,  2023:   Cherries, raspberries and truffles appear on the nose of the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape, which weighs in at 15.1% alcohol. Showing ample concentration and length, this medium to full-bodied effort isn't quite as well endowed as the 2022, but it's still a gorgeous wine, framed by silky tannins and finishing with bright, pomegranate-like fruit, 95;  weight bottle and closure 657 g;  www.clos-des-papes.fr ]
Pure ruby,  a glorious wine colour even though it is the lightest of the 12.  Bouquet contrasts dramatically with the equally pure Boisrenard,  here all red fruits to the fore,  grenache dominating,  the mourvedre invisible on bouquet.  Instead,  red roses and the most complex aspects of raspberries,  hints of cinnamon,  a piquant hint of aromatics almost subtler than garrigue,  beautiful.  Palate is simply astonishing,  the richness on-tongue a sensation to taste,  yet in another sense the flavours all remarkably light.  This is the mouth-feel you achieve with a cropping rate of 16 hl / ha = 2.1 tonnes / ha = 0.85 tonnes / acre,  numbers our Marlborough factory winemakers refuse to think about,  or even acknowledge.  There must be very little press-wine in this edition of Clos des Papes for the wine to be so supple at this early age.  The given alcohol is 15%,  yet as so often,  the high percentage of grenache hides it well.  This is Chateauneuf-du-Pape at its most fragrant and elegant,  yet it will cellar 15 – 20 years at least,  becoming ever more burgundian.  Notwithstanding being the lightest colour of all 12 wines,  the tasting experience of the group showed through with this wine,  12 tasters rating Clos des Papes the top wine,  plus one in second place.  Cellar 15 – 25 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15%;  $61   [ cork,  49mm;  Gr 65 – 70% ,  Sy 25 – 30, Mv 0 – 5,  average vine age around 50 years;  Gr tending whole-bunch but Sy destemmed,  extended cuvaison to 40 days;  elevation now 60% in older 34 hectolitre-litre barrels,  balance concrete vat;  not fined or filtered;  production up to c. 3,150 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L approves of this winery.  Regrettably he does not report on the 2021,  but rates the 2020 ****,  and the 2022 as ****½.  As a general statement for our label,  he says:  The Gigondas Tradition is good value, and very true, made from around 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Mourvèdre … from 2016 there has been less oak, the raising 60% large 34 hl barrel, the rest concrete vat. I expect garrigue, menthol tones in it, and it is rarely under ****;  a Dutch wine-shop has located a Jeb Dunnuck review for the 2021:  Blackberries, peppery herbs, violets and sappy flower notes define the  2021 Gigondas Tradition, a textbook Gigondas in the vintage that's medium-bodied, has a pretty, elegant mouthfeel, integrated acidity and a great finish. Based on 73% Grenache and 27% Syrah, aged in foudre and concrete, enjoy bottles  through 2031, 90;  Wine Private Services of France are a little more promotional for this exact wine:  a deep red color ... captivating aromas of black cherries, blackberries, spices and subtle notes of garrigue.  On the palate … a symphony of complex flavors, with powerful tannins and remarkable structure. Notes of dark fruits, black pepper, licorice and thyme blend harmoniously, leading to a long and robust finish, leaving an unforgettable impression. … embodies the very essence of the great wines of the Rhone valley …;  weight bottle and closure 625 g;  www.labouissiere.com ]
Ruby,  some carmine and velvet,  similar to the Espiers but faintly older in hue,  as if more oak exposure,  just below midway in depth.  Bouquet is initially deeper,  darker and quieter than the Espiers,  with exquisite nearly floral dusky garrigue suggestions.  There are dark cherries and plums,  like the Boisrenard nearly a reminder of cassis,  infused with cinnamon.  The next day the bouquet is sensational,  hinting at what will develop in cellar.  Flavour is wonderfully rich and long,  aromatic,  perhaps a little bit more ‘modern’ than the Espiers … more hints of cooperage.  Finish again is bone dry.  This is not quite such a ‘pretty’ wine as the Espiers,  but in mouth it is a bit more substantial.  Two tasters had the Bouissiere as their top wine,  and two as their second-favourite.  A case of this would also repay the investment,  since Gigondas wines are so good with food.  Cellar 15 – 30 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15%;  $53   [ cork,  50mm;  proprietor Philippe Cartoux farms 9.5 ha organically,  in three appellations,  3 ha in Gigondas.  There are three Gigondas,  the Tradition wine,  then two individual vineyard wines at a higher price.  Les Grames is the middle-ranking of the three,  a new addition to the range,  cepage Gr 65%,  Sy 35,  planted at 5,400 vines per ha,  and cropped at 35 hl/ha = 4.55 t/ha = 1.8 t/ac.  Vinification includes fruit perhaps 80% de-stemmed,  three days cold soak,  up to 4 weeks cuvaison,  elevation 70% in concrete,  30% in  barriques some newish for 12 months,  then fined but not filtered;  J.L-L regards the proprietor as ‘switched-on’,  and Les Grames as offering clear fruit and unfussy drinking;  I felt we had to have this label,  since the 2016 combined great quality with good value;  production now c.4,500 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L,  2022:  fair depth red robe; the bouquet has an aroma that mixes green olives, raspberry, dried herbs, holds OK. The palate has a spearmint tone, moves with some vigour, a collection of small red fruits, redcurrants included, invigorating it. It can expand the finish with a little more time, is a steady quality Gigondas, the length sound. 14.5°. 55,000 b.  From mid-2023. 2034-35, ***½;  no US reviews of the 2021 found,  so another UK wine-merchant for this vintage:  Dark and glossy. Gorgeous raspberry and damson flavours, bright, fresh and youthful. Mildest rasp of tannins. Powerful, artisanal, and with years to go. Now-2028;  weight bottle and closure 623 g;  http://p.cartoux.free.fr ]
Ruby,  carmine suggestions and some velvet,  but only medium weight,  in the middle for depth.  Right from pouring,  this is one of the most fragrant wines in the set,  absolutely epitomising what is so enchanting in good southern Rhone Valley reds,  but is now so hard to find in many Cotes du Rhone.  There are red rose florals,  hints of garrigue,  wonderful red more than black fruits,  light cinnamon spice,  all saliva-inducing.  Flavour is not as rich and deep as some,  but in terms of elegance of flavour,  true-ness to type,  and matching with food,  this wine epitomises the magic of Gigondas.  Finish is bone dry.  The quality (and price) here is such that purchase by the case is essential.  Leave the case sealed for 10 years,  the wine being a slightly lighter edition as fits with the reputation of the 2021 vintage ... but it is still pretty classic in terms of dry extract,  compared with many New Zealand reds.  Perhaps because it is somewhat lighter on palate than the other top wines,  Les Grames had no top ratings,  but six people rated it their second-favourite.  Cellar 10 – 25 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  14%;  $49   [ cork,  49mm;  Gr  50 – 60%,  Sy 30,  Mv 10,  Ci 5,  average age 40 years,  vineyard organic;  hand-picked,  all de-stemmed,  cuvaison up to c.21 days;  elevation now mostly in s/s for 9  months,  but up to 25% in older barriques;  not fined but filtered;  this wine comes from the owners of Ch La Nerthe in Chateauneuf-du-Pape,  from the wholly-owned estate Domaine de la Renjarde near Orange;  no recent tasting reviews from J.L-L,  but he describes the 2016 and 2018 vintages as:  Sleek, modern, polished wines from limestone and sandy soils, including syrah planted 1970 among the oldest in the Cotes-du-Rhone Villages category. Bang-on the mark reliability here, four star wines commonplace;  KB@WS, 2024:  There's a sanguine side to this red, with mulled cherry and grilled plum flavors that have a smoldering feel. Notes of earth and a tug of tar merge with sweet tobacco on the nicely round palate, accented by smoke, dried herbs and toasted aniseed. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Drink now. 3,300 cases imported, 89;  weight bottle and closure 711 g;  www.chateaulanerthe.fr ]
Pure ruby,  fractionally older than the Clos des Papes,  scarcely any deeper,  the second to lightest wine.  As the tasting progressed,  this beautiful wine opened up dramatically.  It illustrates what incredible value can be had by lifting one's sights just one notch,  to Cotes du Rhone-Villages.  Textbook garrigue complexity and cinnamon spice from the grenache are on display,  against fragrant red and black cherry and plum fruits.  Even on bouquet,  there is seemingly elegant and furry tannin adding warmth and texture,  but there is much less evidence of oak raising than the Guigal.  Palate is intriguing,  the berry character immediately a notch darker,  long berry-dominant flavours,  gorgeous supple tannins,  great length,  and bone dry.  This lovely soft fragrant wine like the two Gigondas is a no-brainer to buy by the case,  meaning a dozen.  Tasters were less taken with this wine than I was,  no top places,  one second-place.  Cellar 10 – 20 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15%;  $25   [ cork,  45mm;  cepage Sy 50%,  Gr 40,  Mv 10,  average vine age 35 years,  cropped at c. 40 hl/ha = 5.2 t/ha = 2.1 t/ac;  temperature-controlled fermentation,  long cuvaison, 18 months mainly in foudre / large oak;  production of the 2019 c.375,000 x 9-litre cases;  Guigal consider this edition 'intensely aromatic';  J.L-L,  2022:  dark robe; the bouquet has reserves of ripe depth, soaked cherries/griottes, prune, lingers nicely. The palate has a juicy attack, an immediate delivery of plump, rolling richness, with ripe tannins that layer its second half. It extends warmly, roundly, is a ground covering wine, just short of being sipping. Its fullness means it will be good with beef dishes, stews. There’s a lot in the glass for the price. It’s very dark, Southern wine. You can sit and wait on it if you feel inclined. From spring 2024. 2032-34, ****;  JC@RP, 2022:  Strongly marked by bold fruit on the nose, the 2019 Cotes du Rhone features scents of blackberries, raspberries and cherries. Medium to full-bodied, it's atypically rich and structured—a fine, balanced summation of the vintage, 2023 – 2029, 89 – 91;  weight bottle and closure 567 g;  www.guigal.com ]
This tasting was set up with the Guigal as wine number one,  revealed,  with the thought being that any wine in the set that was clearly better than the ever-reliable Guigal Cotes du Rhone,  must de facto be worth cellaring.  The 2019 edition is not quite a typical example of this Guigal wine-style,  in that is unusually dark and deep,  the second deepest wine on the table.  On bouquet the same qualities are displayed,  not much of the almost pinot noir-like fragrance of the Vacqueyras,  more the heft of the Boisrenard Chateauneuf-du-Pape,  but not the complexity – instead tending burly syrah.  At 15%,  it is one of the higher-alcohol Guigal Cotes du Rhone so far.  The whole bouquet is dark,  very rich,  yet not heavy,  with the aromatics more from older-oak elevation than garrigue.  In mouth the dark flavours continue … more mourvedre than usual you suspect,  remarkable concentration,   and a very long dry aftertaste which the cooperage accentuates.  This wine too illustrates the dramatic contrast between quality Cotes du Rhone and so many current-generation supermarket red wines,  where sterile filtration now facilitates residual sugar in so many red wines,  even in some Cotes du Rhone,  and from so many countries,  ranging from Australia to Portugal.  The sad thing is,  neither of those two particular countries needs residual sugar in terms of grape ripeness achieved,  but there is no limit to pandering to popular taste … in the supermarket and populist wine merchant sector.  Curiously,  no wine-writer (in English-speaking countries) ever mentions this (as always,  an honourable exception to J. Robinson).  This Guigal is yet another wine to buy by the case,  and totally lock away for 10 years.  It will be so much more supple and rewarding then.  Like the 1983 which is still vital and lovely today,  this edition of this famous wine will cellar for 40 years,  if kept in good conditions.  Since the Guigal was set up as the known reference or yardstick wine in the tasting,  nobody rated it their top or second wine,  or their least.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15%;  $37   [ cork,  44mm;  viticulture substantially organic;  Gr 70%,  Sy 20,  Mv 10,  all hand-picked,  de-stemmed;  4 days cold-soak,  cuvaison up to 25 days;  elevation 90 ± 5% in concrete vats,  10 ± 5% in 600-litre barrels for up to 18 months;  not fined,  light filtering;  Stéphane Derenoncourt consults;  production averages 4,575 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L,  2023:  regular red robe; the nose leads on a quiet air of blackberry, a note of blackcurrant, blue fruit, is together, and just stirring. The palate has a close-knit start, carries iron threads, is linear, channelled ends on crisp, ferrous tones, the red fruit within pretty clear. It has a rocky close, a clench of tannin there, is not yet as one, is best left.  From mid-2024. 2034-36, ***;   no US reviews,  so a Dublin wine-merchant review,  no score:  A rich, smooth Southern Rhone red from the village of Rasteau. The nose is intoxicating with perfumed aromas of sweet red and brambly fruits leading onto a full, rich, silky palate with hints of methanol and a nice spicy kick. The wine has a lovely freshness; it is balanced and the length is long … [ hopefully the reference to methanol is (these days) a computer-generated typo … from menthol.];  weight bottle and closure 614 g;  www.domainelasoumade.fr ]
Ruby and velvet,  below midway in depth.  Bouquet is a little quieter on this wine than the more fragrant wines marked more highly.  It gradually reveals lightly aromatic red and darker berries,  some aromatics from garrigue complexity,  any oak very subtle,  beautifully clean.  Flavour has spicy cinnamon notes on raspberry grenache,  but some blueberry flavours too … the syrah presumably.  There is more barrel influence on palate than bouquet,  again a beautifully dry finish,  so separating these quality wines from so many current-generation supermarket red wines.  This is good southern Rhone red,  a fresher (though lighter) style than the Guigal,  but not quite capturing the excitement or concentration of my top five.  Again tasters were less keen on this wine than I was,  no first or second-favourite places.  Cellar 5 – 20 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15.5%;  $48   [ cork,  49mm;  Gr 60%,  Sy 40,  some from limestone SPMs,  fermented in oak vats;  elevation in oak vats and large barrels up to nine months,  then enamel-lined concrete 4 months;  not fined or filtered;  production up to c.1,660 x 9-litre cases;  no J.L-L review this year, but in general he notes ‘accomplished wines’,  for this label the 2021 ****  and the 2019 ***;  likewise no current Parker reviews,  but the 2017 rated 91 – 93,  and the 2016 90 – 92;  the new KB@WS,  no date:  (whose sensibilities are unknown to me) reports on our exact wine:   Ripe and generous, this also has a brooding side, with black plum and cherry anchored by iron bolts and a pull of tar. Reveals notes of cumin and allspice that mingle with grilled mesquite smoke. With a hint of old-school charm, this is characterful and delicious. Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 1,300 cases made, 450 cases imported, 92 ;  since it is now $US40 there,  our price appears fair;  weight bottle and closure 593 g;  www.domainedelacharbonniere.com ]
Pure ruby,  a little deeper than Les Cassagnes,  the third lightest.  Bouquet is astonishing on this wine:  ‘they’ say that at its best,  Vacqueyras is characterised by its fragrance,  and this wine demonstrates that thought extraordinarily well,  nearly floral,  right from opening the aroma pouring out of the glass.  Meaningful words are so hard to find for bouquet,  again more roses than anything,  lots of red berries,  hints of raspberries,  not rich but complex and attractive.  Flavour is remarkably fresh,  all red fruits,  best side of raspberry,  strawberry and pomegranate,  but in a winey way,  then a faintly stalky tannin underpinning to the tail.  Tasting the tannins more carefully,  yes there might be some oak,  but it is very subtle.  This is one of the lightest wines in the set,  its alcohol well hidden.  With its lightness and fragrance (but not weakness),  after a few years in cellar,  this is a wine to show people who say all southern Rhone red is heavy and overbearing.  No top places,  but the freshness and fragrance appealed to one taster,  one second-favourite.  Cellar 5 – 15 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15.5%;  $80   [ cork,  54mm;  the Sabon family established Domaine Janasse in 1973.  Both daughter Isabelle and son Cristophe are oenology graduates.  Antonio Galloni’s website Vinous rates the wines thus:  Combining power, intensity, and sensuality, the wines of La Janasse rank among the very best of Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  J.L-L simply says:  A top class estate.  There traditionally have been three Chateauneuf cuvées,  this is the standard wine (formerly Tradition),  varying around Gr 65 – 80%%,  Sy 10 – 20%,  Mv 10 – 13,  Ci 0 – 5,  the fruit 80% de-stemmed,  then cuvaison up to 28 days.  Elevation typically 80% in vat or old foudre,  20% in barrels,  one third of the barrels new for the syrah and mourvedre,  for 12 months,  then assembly 6 months in vat;  fined,  not filtered;  production up to 1,830 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L,  2021:  (barrel sample) Attractive dark red robe; the bouquet is well together, centres on blackberry with a note of dusty trails in behind, a slightly seared or grilled side to it. This is tasty! Off we go with a foot on the pedal display of black berry fruits, a fluid succulence and appealing, gourmand tannin included, bringing a savoury, almost naughty pleasure moment on the finish, a licorice cut there. It’s an opulent Chateauneuf that will drink openly for most of its life. 15.5°. From mid-2022. 2040-42, ****;  JC@RP,  2018:  Black cherries and garrigue appear on the nose of the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape, a blend of about 60% to 70% Grenache, plus lesser amounts of Mourvèdre and Syrah. Full-bodied, richly concentrated and tannic, with a long, mouthwatering finish, it's one entry-level CdP that should be cellared a year or two prior to consumption, 2023 – 2035, 93;  weight bottle and closure 615 g;  www.lajanasse.com  ]
Good ruby and velvet,  remnant carmine,  in the middle for depth.  Immediately on smelling,  when freshly opened,  both this wine and the Senechaux,  which should have been star-liners in the display,  simply did not show their traditional excitement and complexity.  After tasting,  I felt that both wines might have been impaired in transit,  heat stress presumably,  somewhere since leaving the winery.  Both come to the same importer,  Maison-Vauron,  so it would be enlightening to know if they travelled in the same container.  But more likely it is the unknown transport from the winery to the port of shipping.  Anyway,  with the caveat that neither of these bottles are top representatives of the domaines as I know them,  the description follows:  a rich dark wine,  but lacking fruit freshness ... instead on bouquet suggestions of sur-maturité / hints of raisins,  prunes.  Palate is rich,  very dry,  furry-tannins,  quite a lot of oak and tannin showing,  but with the fruit to wrap it up.  These prematurely-aged qualities will attenuate in cellar,  and after 15 years,  once the tannins start to polymerise,  the resulting wine will be more supple and harmonious.  Just not as exciting as is usual for Janasse.  With air the Janasse improved much more than the Senechaux.  Cellar 15 – 30 years.  Tasters were less fussed with the apparent over-ripeness and early development on bouquet than I was,  for this wine,  no top places but five second-favourites,  the richness being marked up.  I am sure bottles of known provenance would rate higher.  Cellar 15 – 35 years.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  14%;  $46   [ cork,  49mm;  Gr 65-70%,  Sy 25-30,  Mv 5,  organic,  average age 30 years,  hand-picked;  all de-stemmed,  cuvaison up to c.21 days;  elevation half in s/s,  half in new to older barriques for 8 – 9 months;  not fined but filtered,  production up to 1,250 x 9-litre cases;  no current J.L-L review,  but recent vintages have averaged 3.5 stars,  with mostly-good comments;  similarly RP,  scores 90 – 93;  the winemaker does not give notes for this year,  merely what he wants of the wine in general:  a strong ruby colour with a purple tints ... a complex nose of cinnamon, cooked fruits and morello cherry. After a rich and firm attack, the mouth expresses vanilla and peppery aromas which persist to the final. The new barrels … soften the tannins, to oxygenate the wine and to bring a touch of vanilla which will blend with the structure of the wine. It's a supple and rich wine with a very good length in mouth;  all the merchant reviews re-write the winemaker’s thoughts,  so no guide to a specific vintage available;  weight bottle and closure 664 g;  www.domaine-lafond.com ]
Ruby,  carmine and velvet,  well above midway in depth.  At the tasting,  bouquet on this wine was marginally clipped by subliminal TCA,  identified by two tasters.  The fruit character seemed a bit clumsy,  a hint of Australian boysenberry.  Forty-eight hours later the wine was transformed,  big dark berry,  a suggestion of garrigue complexity,  and some cedary oak.  Palate flavours once breathed showed almost cassisy dark fruit,  hints of blackberry,  and furry tannins,  nearly as rich as the Guigal,  but noticeably more tanniny / newer oak.  I imagine this will lighten up considerably with cellaring,  10 – 25 years.  But with its damped-down bouquet on the night,  six tasters had this is their least wine of the tasting,  and nobody rated it.  This score is well breathed.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  13.5%;  $31   [ screwcap;  Gr 40%,  Mv 40,  Sy 20,  most de-stemmed but some whole-bunch;  some must pasteurisation,  vinification in temperature-controlled s/s;  10 days cuvaison,  the website is light on info,  but J.L-L says 25% of the wine is raised 12 months in big old wood;  fined and filtered;  production up to c.58,300 x 9-litre cases;  J.L-L,  2022:  (vat sample)  quite a full red; the nose has a neat aroma of peppery black berry, a smoky, vegetal hint with licorice. The palate is snappy, green peppered, with a herbal thrust into the finish. It has a cool, menthol manner, is very light, isn’t yet together – another nine months will help it to soften, and it can make it up to *** on that basis. From mid-late 2023. 2027-28, ***;   no US reviews so one from a Dutch wine-merchant,  which reads well / not too commercial,  no score:   Transparent deep ruby red in color. In the nose aromas of red and black berries and very slightly dried Provencal herbs. The taste palette shows small, very ripe red-black fruit and some pepper, which are followed by a good aftertaste with supple tannins;  it seemed important to  me to include this wine,  not only because it is consistent year to year,  but because it offers screwcap ... which in some situations makes all the difference;  weight bottle and closure 414 g;  http://m.familleperrin.com ]
Ruby,  carmine and velvet,  quite deep,  clearly above midway in depth.  Quite a few lighter and more supermarket-level Cotes du Rhone are now available with screwcap,  but (from France) few reputable wines.   Accordingly it seemed imperative to include the Perrin Cotes du Rhone Reserve,  because there are times when to be able to take along a screwcap wine is simply a blessing.  And this wine has over many years shown itself to be reliable,  in its style,  and it has the advantage that as a teaching wine,  it illustrates the hard-to-characterise qualities of mourvedre rather well.  In some years,  mourvedre may be 40% of the blend.  Bouquet is thus quite berry-rich but dark,  darkest plum and blackberry maybe … but nowhere as simple,  the dusky mourvedre being so hard to characterise.  Bouquet is not complicated by oak.  The grenache fraction does lighten the bouquet,  and the syrah adds a little spice,  but the whole wine shows quite a deep character in which the mourvedre dominates.  Palate seems almost disappointingly simple in this company,  not weak,  but slightly stalky and lacking much elevation (meaning oak) complexity – just the dark berry flavours of mourvedre.  It will be much more interesting in five years,  and will cellar up to 15 or so.  Tasters liked the relative lightness and freshness (and lower alcohol) of this wine,  two second-favourite placings.  GK 04/24

Southern Rhone Valley,  France:  15.5%;  $78   [ cork,  48mm;  Gr 47 – 68%,  Sy 17 – 32,  Mv 0 – 2,  minor vars 0 – 2;    all hand-harvested,  some whole-bunch,  cuvaison to 33 days,  a little saignée;  elevation for the Gr 40 – 60% in larger wood,  some (probably the Sy) in smaller oak including second-year from Ch Lynch-Bages;  the balance in concrete;  not fined or filtered;  production up to c. 7,500 x 9-litre cases;  the Domaine is now owned by the J M Cazes family,  proprietors of Chx Lynch-Bages,  Haut-Batailley and Les Ormes de Pez,  Bordeaux;  this is another label I felt ‘had’ to be in the tasting,  because the 2016 was so good,  and that year as this,  the price is very  competitive;  J.L-L,  2021:  very dark robe; the bouquet manages depth with some style, a freedom in its cassis fruits, a little grilling on the inside. It’s not yet showing local tendencies. The palate gives a streamlined run of black fruits, is a polished wine, with tannins fitting in accurately, the non-Grenache influences bringing a crisp, direct tone. I would leave it until 2026 so it can evolve past its current efficient, clear fruit, and bring forward more nuances. The finish has a little tar from its oaking, nothing excessive, 2043-45, ***½;  JC@RP, 2022:  Senechaux's 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape is a blend of 57% Grenache, 24% Syrah and 19% Mourvèdre, aged in a combination of foudres, older barriques and concrete tanks. It offers up a nice array of fruit flavors, ranging from grilled cherries and red-skinned plums to fresh red raspberries. Full-bodied, supple and easy to drink already, it finishes with ample length and mouthwatering acids, 2022 – 2030, 93;  weight bottle and closure 619 g;  www.senechaux.fr ]
Ruby and velvet,  in the middle for depth,  no fresh hues.  As for the Janasse,  immediately on smelling,  this wine which should have been one of the better wines in the display,  simply did not show its traditional excitement and complexity.  After tasting,  I felt that this wine even more than the Janasse had been impaired in transit,  heat stress presumably,  somewhere since leaving the winery.  Both come to the same importer,  Maison-Vauron,  so it would be good to know if they travelled in the same container.  But there are also the unknown details of how the wine reached the port of shipping,  and was stored there.  With the caveat that this Senechaux in particular is not representative of the domaine as I know it,  the description follows.  Right from pouring,  this wine has baked / jam-tart rather than fresh berry aromas,  smelling more like a ten-year-old Chateauneuf-du-Pape,  but without the freshness and sparkle.  I felt the Senechaux had to be in this district review,  because it was so good (and affordable) in 2016.  But as for the Janasse but moreso,  this bottle is much more  straightforward,  old for its age,  prematurely aged.  Palate is clean and moderately rich,  nowhere near as big as the Janasse,  reasonably well balanced,  but again a bit dry in the tannins.  Few people will in fact be too disappointed by this wine at table,  but it lacks the excitement hoped for.  Five people rated this their least wine,  second only to the Lafond in that respect.  Cellar 10 – 20 years.  GK 04/24