Price: $119.99
In Mixed Case: $107.99
James Suckling: 95 Points
Stunningly complex nose of dried flowers, beeswax and candied citrus peel. However, the interplay of richness and freshness on the palate tops it. Extremely long finish where the fine tannins build and build at the salty climax. A cuvee based on clairette with grenache blanc, roussanne and a little bourboulenc. Some of the vines date back more than a century, but the majority are about 40-50 years old. Drink or hold.
Vinous: 95 Points
(93-95) Stunningly complex nose of dried flowers, beeswax and candied citrus peel. However, the interplay of richness and freshness on the palate tops it. Extremely long finish where the fine tannins build and build at the salty climax. A cuvee based on clairette with grenache blanc, roussanne and a little bourboulenc. Some of the vines date back more than a century, but the majority are about 40-50 years old. Drink or hold.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
This red offers an alluring perfume of red currant and dried cherry that’s followed by earth tones of warm chestnut, wet leaves, brown bread and pepper, all built upon a plank of solid iron. There's a bloody, meaty edge to the palate, which is still tightly wound up by fine, persistent tannins. Incense smoke and mineral notes bounce along the lengthy finish. Elegant in spite of its weight and stature. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah and Cinsault. Drink now through 2042. 1,636 cases imported.
Jeb Dunnuck: 93 Points
The Grand Vin from this great estate, the 2021 Châteauneuf Du Pape reveals a semi-opaque ruby hue to go with a classic style in its ripe red and black berry fruits, peppery garrigue, leather, earth, black olive, and baking spice-driven aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, and balanced, with fine tannins, it's a beautiful wine in the vintage that should have 15 years of longevity.
Wine Advocate: 92-94 Points
(92-94) Still in tank when I visited in June 2023, the 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau features scents of crushed stone accenting ripe cherries and hints of garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, it offers taut acids allied to silky tannins and ample length on the finish. It's not a huge blockbuster, but it fits nicely with the Brunier family's evolution toward more elegance in their wines. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
