Clos Saint Jean Chateauneuf-du-Pape Sanctus Sanctorum 2019 / 1.5 L.

Lastly, the 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is one of those wines that’s hard to describe as it seems to change every time you come back to it. Offering a more translucent ruby hue as well as a smorgasbord-like array of blackberries, black raspberries, violets, Provençal garrigue, ground pepper, flowers, and smoke, it’s a dream wine in every sense. All Grenache from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit, brought up in used demi-muids, it hits the palate with flawless balance, a powerful, full-bodied mouthfeel, perfectly ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with the other cuvées here, it has the fruit, texture, and balance to offer pleasure today yet is going to benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age and cruise for two decades. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum is going to be one of the wines of the vintage. All Grenache sourced from a single parcel in the La Crau lieu-dit and raised all in demi-muids, it sports a more ruby/purple hue that’s not completely opaque and has an incredible bouquet of kirsch liqueur, ripe blackcurrants, scorched earth. graphite, ground pepper, and assorted cured meats. With an incredibly singular character, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness and carries incredible power and richness, yet it nevertheless still glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness, ultra-fine tannins, and a remarkable sense of purity and elegance. This is another magical Grenache from this team. It’s going to benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age and knock your socks off over the following 20 years or more.

The 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum — a 100% Grenache cuvée (from vines planted in 1905) matured in new demi-muids — looks to have the concentrated fruit to handle the oak better than the 2018. Dark and intense, it delivers waves of purple berries and black cherries, barely touched by vanilla and cedar. It’s full-bodied and rich, and although the wood tannins do leave an impression, it’s a gentle one relative to the wine’s overall profile. While it may not quite equal the near-perfect 2016, it’s close.