Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2015

98 points Wine Spectator: "This has a drop-dead gorgeous core of cassis and raspberry pâte de fruit flavors that holds center stage but still allows notes of Lapsang souchong tea, anise, incense and shiso leaf to chime in. Very long, with a sublime feel through the mineral-tinged finish. So seductive already, but this will cruise in the cellar. Drink now through 2040. (11/30/17)"

97 points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "Bottled in May, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape is a floral, elegant, unbelievably complex wine. Roses and violets, cherries and stone fruit, cinnamon and allspice and more are carried across the full-bodied yet almost weightless palate, finishing in a swirl of silky tannins and lingering spice. Drink it over the next two decades. Drink: 2017-2035. (Oct 2017)"

97 points Tim Atkin, MW: "V50% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre, 2% Syrah, 13% others. 35 hectares owned in total, all worked organically across 24 plots, all destemmed, bottled unfiltered. “I didn’t see one rotten grape - not one; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen that,” says Vincent Avril about the 2015 growing season. We tried a variety of different blends from old foudres, to get a feel for different varieties, soils and ages of barrel. The most indicative of the final blend has plenty of Mourvèdre spice and plump Grenache strawberry fruit and a good balanced level of acidity and alcohol. Sublime freshness and very fine tannin - this will be a brilliant Clos des Papes, in a fairly rich style. 2017-2038."

96 points Decanter: "A superlatively elegant, middleweight, Mourvèdre-rich Châteauneuf that glides across the palate like silk, featuring juicy plum and strawberry freuits, lifted juniper and fennel seed freshness. Very fine clay tannins. Intense but not through extraction; generous, but with energy and precision. Effortless. Drink: 2017-2038. Alcohol 15%. (Nov 2017)"

94-96 points Josh Raynolds (Vinous): "(raised in foudres) Deep ruby. Hugely aromatic red and dark berry, potpourri and floral scents are underscored by smoky minerality and an exotic suggestion of Asian spices. Sappy, focused and impressively deep yet lively, offering alluringly sweet raspberry, cherry compote and spicecake flavors and a refreshingly bitter touch of blood orange. Puts on weight and spreads out steadily with air, acquiring a succulent herb note that carries through the strikingly long, mineral-laced, gently tannic finish. This beauty is shaping up to be among the standouts of this extremely successful vintage. (Mar 2017)"

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Tasted on three separate occasions, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Paul-Vincent is a classic, elegant, and incredibly complex style of wine reminiscent of a Grand Cru Red Burgundy (Chambolle-Musigny?). Black raspberries, blueberries, incense, pine resin, dried orange and exotic floral notes give way to a medium to full-bodied, ethereally textured 2015 that has moderate tannin, beautiful purity, and a seamless finish. I compared this to an improved 2005 last year when I tasted it from barrel, but I’m not sure that comparison holds today, and I struggle to come up with another similar vintage. Nevertheless, this is a beautiful wine that should be at its best from 2020-2030+. (10/19/17)"

93 points James Suckling: "Impressive and bright mixed summer berry and spiced cherry fruits on the nose in a vibrant, alluringly complex style. The palate delivers succulently ripe red cherry and plum fruit flavors. Plenty of weight. Gently warm and spicy finish. Drink from 2020. (8/14/17)"