There’s a reason why Jeb Dunnuck, via Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate said that there is only a “few wines I’d rather have in my cellar (or better yet, on my dinner table), than Vieille Julienne.”

Only for those who love seriously profound Châteauneuf at a whole other level.

With their ‘entry level’ CdP Vieille Julienne earned the #5 spot on Wine Spectator’s Top-100 wines of the 2016 countdown. Then it simply vanished from the market as collectors across the globe scooped it up at inflated prices from any retailer who still had some. Luckily these days there’s a little more to go around of these at the world’s lowest prices - although the quantities are super scarce.

And this Réservé? It’s from another planet, or so it feels. Only Château Rayas is capable of melding such finesse and power into one single wine. Why spend $1,000+ on that when you can steal this for $199 today?!

Just a few bottles, as one would expect, so be nimble and please don’t ask for more.

99 Points – Jeb Dunnuck

“Lastly, the 2020 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé is probably the wine of the vintage. You’re not going to find a richer, more concentrated wine out there, especially one that’s also flawlessly balanced and as seamless as they come. Almost all Grenache from a single parcel of sandy soils, brought up in foudre, its dense purple hue is followed by a mammoth-sized bouquet of black and blue fruits, herbes de Provence, graphite, ground pepper, and liquid violets. Full-bodied, powerful, and opulent on the palate, it has building yet sweet tannins, remarkable purity of fruit, and a huge mid-palate, all of which give it some approachability even today. Nevertheless, this incredible wine deserves 4-6 years of bottle age and will cruise for two decades in cold cellars. Drink 2026-2048.”