2018 Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape Cuvee Imperiale

The 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Girard hadn’t been blended when I visited the estate last year, so this bottled sample was my first look at the cuvée for the American importer. It closely mirrors the regular bottling, but typically includes a bit more old-vine Grenache. The nose is similar, offering up hints of dried spices, earth and black cherries, but the feel on the full-bodied palate is richer and more enveloping, with a creamy-velvety texture that flows seamlessly onto the long, plush finish.

Despite the early hour of my appointment back in June 2019, this was one of my favorite visits of that trip, so it was a pleasure to taste through the lineup of bottled wines this summer. The 2018 Cuvée Imperiale is one of the top wines of the vintage, but perhaps the wine that captured my attention the most was the 2019 Le Peche Originel, a vin de France made from Cinsault. Buy some if you can find any.