Domaine de La Vieille Julienne : Les Trois Sources 2018

Very well-defined, with anise, black tea and a core of cassis, plum and blackberry purée flavors that spark inner energy while being carried by racy iron, savory and garrigue notes. This is also less forward than most of its colleagues in this vintage. Best from 2024 through 2036. 800 cases made, 200 cases imported.

The 2018 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Trois Sources is showing wonderfully, opening in the glass with dark cherry and plum aromas, strawberry, leather and a dash of white pepper. Full-bodied, concentrated and framed by slightly drying tannins, it is well-balanced by refreshing acidity, closing with a savory finish. Due to the presence of mildew, only half the normal amount of production was achieved.

Spicy, fresh, sweet, ripe red fruits, herbs, thyme, flowers and pepper open the medium-bodied, kirsch-packed wine. The soft, inviting palate delivers ripe red cherries, kirsch and spicy black raspberries from start to finish. This will be just great on release and should deliver the goods for at least a decade or longer.

True to form, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Trois Sources is a softer, more elegant wine than the Les Hauts-Lieux and offers a gorgeous perfume of black cherries, black licorice, tapenade, violets, herbes de Provence, and jus de viande. Deep, full-bodied, and beautifully layered, it gains weight with time in the glass and is going to benefit from just short-term cellaring. It doesn’t have the concentration for any long-term cellaring yet my money is on it evolving nicely for a solid 10-12 years.