Xavier Vignon CdP XV Rouge

The second year Vignon has produced this cuvée, the 2016 Chateauneuf du Pape XV is a plush but restrained blend that incorporates more Mourvèdre and less Syrah, with the Grenache and Mourvèdre co-fermented when possible. It shows a bit of toasty oak up front but balances that with ample black cherry fruit and soft, dusty tannins. Long and harmonious on the finish, it should drink well on release in 2019 and for a decade or more after that.