Even more packed with fruit and overall intensity than the Cuvée Mon Aieul, the 2019 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des 2 Freres is also all whole-cluster Grenache, but matured in 300-liter barrels, approximately 20% new. Smoky and herbal on the nose, it's also richly fruited, with a never-ending stream of black cherries. Full-bodied, velvety and plush, it's a hugely intense, hedonistic expression of Grenache and Chateauneuf du Pape.

I'm not typically a fan of Grenache aged in new, smaller oak vessels, but the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des 2 Freres works. It's 100% Grenache aged in new 300-liter barrels for 14-15 months. Vanilla and baking spices make themselves known, but this full-bodied, plush wine offers waves of Christmas cake-like flavors and unimaginable enveloping softness, balanced by decent acids and a long, supple finish. It's considerably fresher than I remember the 2015 being.

A cellar selection aged in barriques, one-third of which are new, the 2015 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des 2 Freres combines cedar and vanilla aromas with red raspberries to create a rich, creamy, full-bodied wine with huge concentration and impressive length. It's hard not to like this, despite the obvious oak and alcoholic warmth.

The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Reserve des Deux Freres is a completely different animal because of the major loss of Grenache crop due to poor flowering. This blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah makes it an unusual Des Deux Freres, since this wine has usually been close to 100% Grenache. The high percentage of Syrah gives the wine a very black/purple color, more blackberry, cassis and acacia flowers, with some smoked meat and Peking duck notes. Rich, full-bodied, thick, and unctuously textured, it is a more modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape, especially with so much Syrah in the final blend. Nevertheless, it is a brilliant wine that should drink well for 20-25 years given the freshness and good acids these 2010s possess. (Not yet released)One of the top estates in Chateauneuf du Pape is that of the two brothers Thierry and Jean-Pierre Usseglio. Their cellars are just north of the village, adjacent to the walls of the ruins of the pope’s palace. They have nearly 60 acres under vine, and make three cuvees of red wines in the top vintages. Their classic or traditional cuvee is made from a blend of mostly Grenache, with some Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvedre. Their mostly unoaked, tank-fermented and -aged Mon Aieul comes from very old vines (about 85 years of age) and tiny yields, while their cuvee Des Deux Freres leans in a slightly more modern direction for Chateauneuf du Pape, with 50% of it now aged in small barrels, 20% in tank, and 30% in 600-liter demi-muids.Importer: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173