Vinous (96)

Vivid purple. Deeply pitched cherry, dark berry preserve and licorice aromas pick up smoky mineral, olive and floral notes with air. Chewy and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated, mineral-drenched bitter cherry, blackberry, fruitcake and floral pastille flavors that spread out steadily and turn sweeter with air. Shows solid grip and resonating minerality on a wonderfully long, smoky finish that echoes the dark berry and licorice notes. This is all Chaillot fruit, Gilles told me.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright purple. Mineral-accented aromas of ripe dark berries, licorice and violet show fine clarity and spicy lift. Energetic and focused in the mouth, offering juicy blackberry, bitter cherry, smoked meat and fruitcake flavors that deepen through the back half. Turns sweeter on the long, smoky finish, which features well-knit tannins and lingering floral and exotic spice notes.

Wine Advocate (95-97)

Blended from the lieux-dits of La Crau and Rayas, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape La Muse tank sample carries a hint of fresh herbs upfront for freshness but also plush black cherry fruit, creamy/supple tannins and a long, licorice-tinged finish. It looks to be a stunner!

Wine Advocate (95)

A great showing, Bonneau's 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Marie Beurrier has lots of garrigue, kirsch, truffle and spice to go with the classic gamy, bloody meaty-like quality that's always present in his wines. Medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and sweetly fruited, it has fine tannin and a beautiful elegance that keeps you coming back to the glass. There's no baby fat here and it's at full maturity, but will certainly hold for a decade.

Vinous - Josh Raynolds (91-93)

Dark red. Sauvage aromas of dark berries, fresh game, truffle and underbrush. Rich, spicy and meaty, with deep, sweet flavors of blackberry and plum.

Vinous (94)

Bright ruby. Spicy and energetic on the nose and palate, offering lively red fruit aromas and flavors that become smokier and more fragrant with air. Deeper dark berry qualities come up on the back end and linger on the very long, sappy, alluringly sweet finish. This wine is still very young but there's a lot of appealing, surprisingly open-knit fruit on display today.

Wine Advocate (92-94)

Apparently, there's no Les Celestins in 2013, which was a challenging vintage in the Southern Rhône. That said, the barrel we tasted of the 2013 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Marie Beurrier was a bit light but elegant and silky in texture, with pomegranate-like red fruit and gentle spice.

Jeb Dunnuck (91-93)

A vintage vinified by Marcel Bonneau, the 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier sports a healthy purple color as well as terrific aromas and flavors. Garrigue, kirsch liqueur, pepper, and gamey notes all emerge from this charming, balanced, medium to full-bodied barrel sample. It’s early days for the 2016s in this cellar, but it a good start.

The Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 hails from the illustrious Rhône Valley, crafted by the legendary winemaker, Henri Bonneau. Known for meticulous, artisanal winemaking, Bonneau only releases his wines when they reach maturity. Produced from old vine Grenache, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 showcases captivating complexity and depth.

Ripened under the Provençal sun, the 2018 vintage flaunts seductive aromatics of red and black fruits, intermingled with notes of spice, earth, and leather. On the palate, it exhibits superb structure enhanced by precision, balance, and a lingering finish.

Bonneau's commitment to traditional viticultural techniques guarantees the maintenance of natural acidity and a picturesque representation of the terroir. His methodology includes manually harvesting, whole cluster fermentation, and aging in ancient oak casks for a minimum of 36 months. Each bottle serves as a testimony to Bonneau's reputation as a venerated wine custodian.

Revelling in beauty and elegance, the Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 is a beacon of excellent Southern Rhône winemaking.

The Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 hails from the illustrious Rhône Valley, crafted by the legendary winemaker, Henri Bonneau. Known for meticulous, artisanal winemaking, Bonneau only releases his wines when they reach maturity. Produced from old vine Grenache, the Châteauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 showcases captivating complexity and depth.

Ripened under the Provençal sun, the 2018 vintage flaunts seductive aromatics of red and black fruits, intermingled with notes of spice, earth, and leather. On the palate, it exhibits superb structure enhanced by precision, balance, and a lingering finish.

Bonneau's commitment to traditional viticultural techniques guarantees the maintenance of natural acidity and a picturesque representation of the terroir. His methodology includes manually harvesting, whole cluster fermentation, and aging in ancient oak casks for a minimum of 36 months. Each bottle serves as a testimony to Bonneau's reputation as a venerated wine custodian.

Revelling in beauty and elegance, the Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf-du-Pape Marie Beurrier 2018 is a beacon of excellent Southern Rhône winemaking.

Vinous (96+)

The 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réserve des Célestins opens with a spice-driven bouquet layered with dried red fruits, caramel, dates and savory undertones. On the palate, it is full-bodied and deeply concentrated, its richness carried by chalky tannins that structure the wine without overwhelming it. The finish is long and infused with a lingering spiciness. The 2005 Réserve des Célestins still holds much in reserve—another five years or more of cellaring will allow it to fully unfurl and enter its prime drinking window, where it will deliver immense pleasure for decades to come.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

The 2009 Châteauneuf Du Pape Reserve Des Celestins is certainly mature, yet it still has at least another decade of prime drinking followed by a gradual decline thereafter. A semi-opaque ruby hue with just a kiss of bricking at the rim, it has an essence of Provence-like perfume of sweet black cherries, roasted garrigue, licorice, and herbes de Provence. With full-bodied richness, a supple, layered, seamless mouthfeel, integrated tannins, and beautiful overall balance, it's not in the massive, concentrated style of the 2010 and shows the sun-kissed, complex, incredibly seductive style of the 2009 vintage beautifully. I followed this bottle over the course of an evening, and it needs about an hour of air to show at its best. Drink: 2025-2039.

Vinous (93-95)

Bright ruby-red. Far more expressive than the Marie Beurrier, displaying a wild array of candied red fruits, flowers and Asian spices, along with an intense mineral overtone. Silky, sweet and pure on the palate, offering intense raspberry preserve and spicecake flavors and a jolt of lavender pastille. Closes long and sweet, with building spiciness and smooth, harmonious tannins that sneak up late.

Wine Advocate (94-96)

According to Marcel Bonneau on this visit, all of the 2012 wine will be bottled as Reserve des Celestins. Tasted from barrel, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Celestins flirts with that fine line between deep, chocolaty richness and raisiny over-ripeness. This is full-bodied and powerful but silky at the same time. If it's bottled soon, it should be amazing.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

I loved this cuvée from barrel in 2017, and the 2016 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvee Celestins certainly impresses from bottle today. Purchased while I was in the Rhône, it offers a liquid Provence-like vibe in its garrigue-laced red and black fruits, candied flowers, pepper, saddle leather, and who knows what else aromatics. Rich, powerful, and concentrated on the palate, it brings serious ripeness, sweet tannins, and a slightly lifted, exotic style that opens up beautifully with time in the glass. It will evolve for over two decades.