Even better than the traditional cuvee, the 2013 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations is unquestionably one of the stars of the vintage. Made from equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre that was brought up all in new barrels, it dishes out gorgeous notes of black raspberry, violets, cured meats, licorice and serious minerality to go with medium to full-bodied richness and depth on the palate. There’s uncommon concentration here, and as with the traditional cuvee, the tannin is beautifully polished and ripe. Despite the modern élevage, you wouldn’t know it by tasting this beauty. It should benefit from short-term cellaring and have 12-15 years or more of longevity.

Showing even better from bottle than barrel, the 2012 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations has a subtle tinge of vanilla in its cassis, blackberry jam, smoked earth and violet-driven bouquet. Full-bodied, uber-rich and concentrated, and with notable freshness and purity, it’s a blockbuster 2012 that will have 12-15 years of longevity.

Showing a slightly modern style, with vanilla-tinged dark berry fruit, licorice, cedar and leather aromas and flavors, the 2011 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations is medium-bodied, concentrated, beautifully balanced and has a streamlined, focused finish. A superb 2011, it will be one of the longer lived wines in the vintage and will drink nicely for over a decade. Drink now-2023. Importer: Shaw-Ross, Miramar, FL; tel. (954) 430-5036

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations (Gaston Philippe) is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre from 60- to 105-year-old vines, with 80% aged in new oak casks and the balance in older barrels. As one might expect, it is modern in style yet fabulously concentrated displaying notes of soy, creme de cassis, white chocolate, new saddle leather, graphite and spice box. Extremely full-bodied, dense and heady, this massive Chateauneuf will need 8-10 years of cellaring (my 1998 Cuvee des Generations is just beginning to show some maturity). This stunning 2010 should last 30-35 years, and if you are laying down any wine for your children, this might be a consideration. One of the largest estates in Chateauneuf du Pape, Chateau de la Gardine (which has a history dating back to the late 1600s) owns over 120 acres in Chateauneuf du Pape, where they enjoy a long track record of exceptional success. Remarkably, the Brunel family that owns this estate has been vineyard owners since 1670, acquiring La Gardine in 1945. Little has changed in the thirty years I have been covering Chateauneuf du Pape other than the fact that they have introduced a totally unsulphured cuvee, Peur Bleu, and their blockbuster l’Immortelle. The intention is to use small oak casks and make a more modern-styled wine with aging potential of three decades or more. Despite the use of their own bottle form (that varies considerably from the type of bottle used by most Chateauneuf du Pape producers), they age the l’Immortelle in a truncated oak vat and the unsulphured cuvee in 600-liter demi-muids. The 2010s are of high quality across the board. Except for the Traditional cuvees, they are long-term propositions for serious connoisseurs who have the necessary wine storage facilities to give these wines some time to come into full maturity. Importer: Shaw-Ross, Miramar, FL; tel. (954) 430-5036.

The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee des Generations has come on strong since tasted last year, and is unquestionably one of the finest wines of the vintage. It is made from essentially the same blend as the Tradition, but comes from much older vines (60 to 100 years old), and is aged primarily in new oak. A dense purple color is accompanied by copious blackberry, ink, charcoal and espresso roast characteristics. Dense, full-bodied, even massive and atypically backward as well as super-concentrated for a 2009, it requires 4-5 years of cellaring, and should last for 25-30 years. A large estate of over 120 acres, Chateau de la Gardine can trace its existence back to the late 1600s. This is another of the rare domaines in Chateauneuf du Pape where virtually all of their vineyards are contiguous, located in the northwestern sector of the appellation. La Gardine has long been owned by the Brunel family who have been vineyard owners since 1670, but only acquired this property in 1945. It is one of the many estates in Chateauneuf du Pape where a woman has a major role in making the wine. In this case, it is Marie-Odile Brunel. Four cuvees are made, the major ones being their Traditional offering and their long-lived (25-30+ years) Cuvee des Generation. Over the last decade La Gardine has introduced a wine bottled without sulphur, a dangerous and risky venture, called Peur Bleu. They also produce l’Immortelle, a small cuvee (100 or so cases) made of equal parts Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah from 100% unstemmed grapes. It is meant to age 30+ years. The latter two wines are only made in the finest vintages. Importer: Shaw-Ross, Miramar, FL; tel. (954) 430-5036.